Maria and her husband, Enrique, have been married for 5 years. This year, when Maria got the great news she was pregnant, she also found out she has HIV.

<-- previous | next -->

Dr. Martin: Hi Maria. Congratulations on your pregnancy! I brought you back in today because we need to talk about your test results. One of tests you got was for HIV. I'm sorry to say that your test is positive. That means you have HIV.

Maria: Oh no! What does that mean for my husband and me? And the baby?

Dr. Martin: The good news is that many women are living strong and healthy lives with HIV. But you could give the HIV to your baby. There are drugs that you can take while you're pregnant to help keep the baby from getting HIV. But we're going to wait until after your 1st trimester ends to start you on the drugs. During this time, when the baby is forming, the drugs might hurt the baby's organs. So, I'd like to wait.

Maria: So if I take a drug, my baby won't get HIV?

Dr. Martin: It's not for sure, but the chances are very low. Another way to lower the chance is to have your baby by C-section. We can talk more about this down the road. Go home and talk to your husband about this. And ask him to get tested too. Also, I'll give you the name of a counselor who can help you understand and manage HIV in your daily life.