By Adriana Sommer da Costa
Psychologist and Sexologist

 Direct transmission by the HIV as of the pregnancy occurs in both the childbirth and nursing too.  In addition, a child from HIV+ mother stands a great chance of not acquiring any sexual disease, provided measures such as previous diagnosis for sexual infections, on spot anti-retroviral approach, well-thought off caesarean labour, and cut off breastfeeding ultimately.

Every mother, whose HIV carrier, gets counselled by every member of the medical staff to supply the baby artificial milk all year round.  

Every gravid has got to get tested to HIV, given the chances of prevention from passing on any sexual disease to the baby if it gets diagnosed beforehand.

In their majority children born from serum-positive mothers may not display symptoms of infection at birth. Hence, the need for every child born from HIV+ mother to undergo the follow up advised by the NHS thoroughly, up until blood status gets confirmed.

Thus diagnose for the sexual infection gets done through a batch of tests run up by the local health clinics. Screening is done anonymously and free of charges. Every step must follow standard procedures dictated by the National Health Care System if anything.

Test and counselling for sexually transmitted diseases are available to every gravid, regardless of the likelihood of HIV contagion. Undergoing tests is always voluntary and confidential.

The earlier the diagnosis of sexually transmissible diseases, alias HIV, in pregnant women the better the chances to keep the virus at bay would be.

It’s key that all remains crystal clear, because certain mothers by growing weary of their condition, begin to despair if knowingly of their pregnancy status and tend to commit desperate acts sometimes.

The retroviral drugs employed (monoculture AZT) in pregnant women and newly born, alongside designed caesarean and replacement of mother’s milk, could reduce the risk of transmission by the HIV from mother to the son drastically.

Some data revealed at hand by the Health minister comes to show that prevention measures in place have reduced the number of direct cases of HIV infection.

It spells good news, none the less; meaningful information latched on prevention may never be enough.