HIV can easily be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding, but medications reduce the chances of passing on the virus. Having an HIV test during the family planning process allows the mother to protect the baby by taking these medications early.
HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, causes serious health problems and may even be fatal. When the virus is first acquired, there may be no symptoms, or the resulting illness may be mistaken for a less-serious viral infection such as “the flu.” This is why many HIV-infected people are unaware of their HIV status. A couple may begin the process of %family planning% without being aware that one of them is HIV-positive from an encounter they had years earlier.
HIV can be passed from mother to infant during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. This is why it’s important for every woman who plans to get pregnant to be certain of her HIV status before she starts trying to conceive. An HIV test should be part of the process of family planning.
Because unprotected sex is required for conception, a man with HIV can easily infect his female partner if he’s unaware of his status while they’re trying to achieve a pregnancy. This means that it’s also important for the male partner to have an HIV test during the family planning process, to protect both the mother and the baby.
An %HIV test% is a simple and painless process. The initial test can be performed on oral fluid (collected from your mouth with a swab), or on blood. While the first test is fairly accurate, a positive result (meaning that you have HIV) will be confirmed with a second blood test, to ensure that the diagnosis is correct.
Taking HIV medications can greatly reduce the chances of the baby acquiring HIV from the mother. If these medications are started very early in pregnancy, it’s highly likely that the baby will not acquire HIV. Starting the medications later reduces their effectiveness. This is why having an HIV test as part of the family planning process is important. It allows an HIV-positive mother to begin effective HIV treatment before she even conceives, which protects the baby.
If you have an %HIV test in Singapore%, and the result is positive, you can rest assured that the results will be kept confidential. No one will be informed of your status without your consent. This means that there’s no reason to skip having an HIV test in Singapore.
Most people who have an HIV test in Singapore will discover that they don’t have the virus. This will provide peace of mind to those who are planning to have a baby, allowing the partners to have unprotected sex without worrying.
In addition to HIV, there are also other STDs that can harm the baby. Therefore, both partners should be tested for several different STDs, to provide complete peace of mind and allow the partners to enjoy the process of conceiving their child. Visiting an STD clinic in Singapore is a convenient way to get all of this testing done at once. With one convenient visit, you can have an examination by a medical professional, and all of the necessary testing to ensure that your baby gets a healthy start in life (including your HIV test). You can then receive treatment at the same clinic if any of the tests come back positive. You’ll be able to enjoy your pregnancy without worrying about passing on a disease that harms your baby’s health.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “HIV Testing.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 5 Nov 2015. Accessed 9 Jun 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/testing/
National Institutes of Health. “The Use of HIV Medicines During Pregnancy.” AIDS Info. Published 17 Aug 2015. Accessed 9 Jun 2016. https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/education-materials/fact-sheets/24/72/the-use-of-hiv-medicines-during-pregnancy
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “STDs During Pregnancy - CDC Fact Sheet.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 20 May 2016. Accessed 9 Jun 2016.
http://www.cdc.gov/std/pregnancy/stdfact-pregnancy.htm
Mayo Clinic Staff. “STDs and Pregnancy: Get the Facts.” Mayo Clinic. Published 10 Jan 2015. Accessed 9 Jun 2016.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/stds-and-pregnancy/art-20115106