Question
I’m 6 months pregnant. Is it safe to delay starting treatment?
5 February 2018. Related: All topics, Pregnancy, South Africa, Starting treatment.
I am 6 months pregnant and have just tested positive. My CD4 count is 256. I have to start now.
I didn’t get much info as I thought I am doing it for my baby but I find it difficult to deal with the fact that I have developed AIDS, and have to start treatment.
My question is, will it be dangerous for me to delay taking the treatment for myself and only take the one for the baby. Since I think it was my emotional state that made my CD to be low.
I am very healthy and eat well. Please advise.
Answer
Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy.
I am sorry about your recent HIV diagnosis. I can appreciate that it cannot be easy dealing with a diagnosis during pregnancy and then knowing that you need to start taking treatment straight away. Can I ask if your doctor has put you in contact with support groups for people living with HIV? Many women find it helpful sharing experiences and coping with being HIV positive and pregnant.
Technically, a CD4 count of 256 doe not mean you have ‘AIDS’ as the US defines this as being less than 200, but it does mean starting treatment is very important.
Your doctor is giving you good advice. Starting treatment (ART) straight away is important.
The WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines recommends all HIV positive pregnant women start ART. This is regardless of the CD4 count. These meds will be good for your health and good for your baby. The meds should get your viral load to undetectable befire your baby is born. Sometimes this takes longer than three months.
Viral load refers to the amount of virus in your body. An undetectable viral load (below 50 copies) means that there is very little virus in your body and is therefore the best way of preventing transmission to the baby.
Continuing ART afterwards is also recommended, but should be discussed with your doctor. As your CD4 count is 256, it is better to continue taking treatment after the baby is born.
The good news is that ART should increase your CD4 count. Although sometimes if you start taking treatment in pregnancy your CD4 count may not increase very much. If this happens, don’t worry, your CD4 count will catch up after the baby is born. For more information on HIV and pregnancy, please follow this link to our guide to HIV, pregnancy and women’s health. The guide also answers a lot of general questions about HIV and pregnancy.
It is good that you eat well and lead a healthy lifestyle. Avoiding stress, eating a balanced diet and taking exercise are all good for your general health and well being. However, this will not necessarily increase your CD4 count. ARVs are the only proven way of increasing and maintaining a good CD4 count.
As you are based in South Africa, you may find it useful to contact TAC (Treatment Action Campaign). They will be able to put you in contact with support groups near you. You may also find it useful to read TAC’s guide to Pregnancy in our lives.
Good luck for the rest of your pregnancy.
Note: This answer was updated in February 2018 from a question first posted online in April 2012.
You can talk to your doctor about contraception and your HIV treatment if you don’t want to have a baby.
But if you want to have a baby you can. Women around the world have taken HIV drugs safely in pregnancy now for over 20 years. Treating your HIV will reduce the risk of your baby becoming HIV positive to almost zero.
You can find out more about HIV treatment (ART), women’s health and pregnancy in this guide:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
Guys I need help about how can I protect my self from getting pregnant being HIV positive
We are not doctors so if you have a rash it’s important that you go to see a doctor so they can look at it.
But we no longer answer questions about transmission and testing. This information service is about HIV treatment, and it’s for people who are HIV positive.
Most questions about transmission and testing have been answered here:
http://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
I’m a 22 years old. 8 months have passed now since I had sex with a ex girl of my mine. Then the other night her boyfriend called me and told me that I’m infected I’m afraid of having an HIV test. I experienced white rashes and they were not hurting, could I have HIV or did her boyfriend just want to scare me off.
Hi Theju,
Babies are most at risk of HIV around the time they are being born – that is during labour and delivery.
Many mothers now have HIV negative babies by starting HIV treatment. HIV drugs are safe and effective for pregnant women. Treating your HIV will reduce the risk of your baby becoming HIV positive to almost zero. And starting HIV treatment can protect both your health and your baby’s health.
Can you talk to the doctor about starting treatment now? Do you have support for this where you live?
I didn’t consult my doctor I’m pregnant of 4 months. What precautions do I have to take?
It’s important that your wife talks to the doctor about HIV treatment that can help protect your Baby from HIV.
You can get in touch and ask more about this by sending a question here:
And you can find out about HIV and having a baby in this guide:
http://i-base.info/qa/ask-a-question?first=yes
Can you help me with a list of meds I will need for my wife who is 5 months pregnant with HIV to help prevent the Baby for getting infected? Or any personal way of contacting you for help please.
Hi,
The important number when talking about childbirth is your viral load. This needs to be ‘undetectable’ (under 50) for a vaginal birth to be safe for the baby. If you only missed one dose, once or twice you might already be undetetcable. This usually happens within a couple of months of starting treatment. If you were missing does more regularly you should tell your doctor or clinic about this. They can then help you work out if you meds are still working.
You can find lots of information about HIV and pregnancy here:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
I am 7 months pregnant and HIV positive,i started treatment when i was 4 months pregnant i skipped a few doses but now i have been faithfully taking my drugs. I hope i wont have problems. I hope to have a vaginal delivery but have not confirmed my CD4 count. Is it possible to have a lower viral load if i faithfully take my medications till child birth?