Question
Can I continue ARVs after pregnancy?
5 January 2014. Related: All topics, Pregnancy.
I found out recently that I’m hiv+ after my pregnancy test at the clinic. My CD4 count is 693.
I started taking Atroiza to keep my unborn safe, but they said to me that I will stop taking these once I have given birth.
My question is, can i not take ARVs if my CD4 count keeps increasing?
Answer
Hi
Lots of women only find out they are HIV positive during pregnancy.
You ware right that using HIV meds during pregnancy will be good both for your health and that of your baby. ARVs dramatically reduce the chance of your baby being positive – perhaps by more than 99%.
After the pregnancy some women continues to take treatment, even if they have a high CD4 count. Other women might choose to stop if their CD4 count is very high (i.e. above 500). However, these choices may be different depending on the ARV guidelines for where you live.
Ideally, this should be something that you can chose, so please talk to your clinic about whether you can have the option to continue.
The choices for how your will feed your baby are also based on whether you are still on effective treatment.
For more information see the guide to HIV and pregnancy at this link:
If you were not expecting to be positive, then it is also important to get good information and emotional support about HIV.
Comment