For women and girls considering, planning, or who are pregnant, this experience introduces a new life path to your life course. Specialized care is essential to your health and wellbeing – from preconception, to pregnancy, to labor and delivery, post-partum, and motherhood. First, understanding that pregnancies of women living with HIV are considered high risk, and then what guidelines/standards regarding medication and delivery exist help empower you throughout this experience and protect both you and your baby. First, understanding that pregnancies of women living with HIV are considered high risk, and then what guidelines/standards regarding medication and delivery exist help empower you throughout this experience and protect both you and your baby. Building a healthcare team around you is critical – this includes your primary care physician, OBGYN, specialists, pediatricians, and others who can come together to care for you before, during and after pregnancy and keep you safe and healthy! Lean on peers, support groups, and other women who are living with HIV and have been pregnant to learn more about living and thriving with HIV, your health, rights, and needs you have to a healthy pregnancy and beyond.
For women living with HIV who are planning to get pregnant or are pregnant, key considerations include:
- Peer support groups
- HIV Criminalization / Exposure Laws
- Laws / decriminalization
- Reporting / Case management / support for Child
- Safely Disclosing / State & Local Laws
- OBGYN care
- High risk pregnancy
- High risks care provide
- Medication (AZT) guidelines for birth
- Breastfeeding and infant feeding options
- Choices
- Viral loads
- Infant guidelines – linked
- Specialized prenatal care and comprehensive healthcare team (including HIV specialist, OB/GYN, pediatrician, etc.)
- Medication adjustments and HIV suppression/viral load
- Prevention of transmission to partner and baby
- Labor and Deliver planning Bodily Autonomy
- Postpartum care (for both maternal and infant)
- Acknowledgement that Black Women having the highest maternal mortality rate in the US, the impact of the gross level of inequity creates an added layer of risk
- Partner resources, support, and care
- Utilizing the support of birth workers (midwifes, doulas, lactation coaches)