HIV virus has been
much feared by the people around the world ever since its outbreak way back in
the 1980s. Pregnancy seems to be already pretty challenging but the situation
is made even more complicated and worse if the mother seems to be HIV positive.
But today, there has been a leap in medical science and treatments so HIV
pregnancy today is safe and we have witnessed a reduction in the possibilities
of the baby automatically contracting the virus from the mother.
HIV symptoms in the
early stages are actually mild and are often ignored pretty easily. However,
the alarming fact is that even though, there are no outward early HIV symptoms
as such, the HIV virus could easily be transmitted from an infected mother to
the baby. It is, therefore, mandatory to determine if you are actually HIV
positive or not. In this context, you must know that during the initial few
weeks, the infected person may demonstrate only mild symptoms like fever,
headache or even lack of energy or fatigue. Some patients may demonstrate
absolutely no symptoms during the initial stages. In some cases, it could take
more than a decade for full-blown HIV symptoms to show.
What is HIV?
HIV is supposed to be
a deadly virus that attacks your immune system. Moreover, if the HIV virus is
left to itself without proper treatment, you could develop AIDS that is
supposed to be a prolonged issue and sometimes, fatal. In this context, you
must know that HIV is transmitted through oral, anal, or vaginal sexual
contact. It may also get transmitted through blood, injection drug use, breast
milk, and blood factor products.
HIV Symptoms
- Fever
- A Sore Throat
- Rash
- Swelling in groin, neck,
armpits
- A Headache
- Night Sweats
- Vomiting, Nausea, &
Diarrhea
- Joint Pains
- Body ache
- Fatigue
Is It Necessary for Pregnant Women to Get Tested?
In some countries, it
is compulsory for all pregnant women to opt for HIV screening. However, in
other countries, it is left to the mother’s discretion and she enjoys the right
to say no to HIV screening.
HIV Testing
Testing and proper
diagnosis are a critical part of remaining healthy despite HIV. With the
effective early diagnosis, you could opt for early treatment. For testing HIV, a
number of blood screenings are necessary including the ELISA test. The ELISA
tests and Western Blotting are the two commonly used blood antibody tests for
successful detection of HIV. But due to progress in the field of medicine and
technology, some other effective testing methods could be used today. The CDC
has discontinued the use of Western Blot test for HIV since 2014. Today most
laboratories are using an immunoassay for precise antibodies to both the HIV-1
and 2 and also, the HIVp24 antigen. This may be effectively followed by some
sort of a confirmatory immunoassay for distinguishing between HIV-2 and HIV-1.
Contact important and reliable sites such ashttps://www.mybiosource.com/ for research reagents requirements as
they are the leading source for proteins, antibodies, ELISA Kits, and peptides.
Some Factors that Boost Risks of HIV Transmission
- Viral load in the mother could
determine HIV transmission. For instance, if the viral load in the mom’s
blood is just 400 copies/mL then the exact rate of transmission would be 1
percent. However, this rate would be increased dramatically to over 30
percent or so when the viral levels in the maternal blood are over 100,000
copies/mL
- In case of a pre-term delivery,
the baby would have a four-fold boost in the risk of acquiring the HIV
virus.
- If the HIV infected mother is
breastfeeding her baby, there is around 30 percent to 40 percent chance
that the baby would get infected with the HIV virus.
- If the mother had got infected
because of sexual transmission, the precise rate of actual vertical
transmission seems to be higher.
- Certain medical procedures
performed during delivery such as artificial membrane ruptures, forceps
application, and even invasive fetal monitoring could definitely increase
the HIV transmission risk for the baby.
Conclusion
There is a need for
the HIV infected pregnant mother to be educated about the transmission risks to
her baby. She must understand the implications and must take effective measures
to shield her baby from the deadly virus.
