Pregnant women in South Canterbury will soon be offered an HIV test as part of their routine antenatal blood tests.
The Antenatal HIV screening programme is a national programme which has already started in some regions.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that affects the body’s ability to fight infection. It can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) if left undetected and untreated.
Women with HIV can become mothers. But it is estimated that if women with HIV are identified during pregnancy and given the right care and attention, the risk of mother-to-baby transmission can be reduced from as high as 30 per cent to less than one per cent.
South Canterbury District Health Board Antenatal HIV Screening Coordinator Dianne Keeman says; “A woman with HIV can pass the virus to her baby during pregnancy, labour or through breast milk, and most pregnant women with HIV don’t know they have the infection. The test is the only way to tell.”
The number of people with HIV in New Zealand is low. However that number is increasing so all pregnant women will be offered an HIV test at the same time as other routine antenatal blood tests (Rhesus factor and blood cell antibodies, full blood count, hepatitis B, rubella and syphilis). One sample of blood can be used for all the tests.
The majority of pregnant women will be found not to have HIV. But if a woman’s HIV test is positive, professional advice, help and support will be given to look after her health, her baby’s health and that of her partner, family or whanau.
For more information, visit the National Screening Unit website.
An information brochure can also be downloaded Here.