Women Speak Out About HIV Testing During Pregnancy
"I think it is very, very important to be tested, so that I could know ... what I could do for my children to guarantee them the happiest life I could give them."
"At my second prenatal visit, the nurse recommended that I take an HIV test ... not because she thought anything was wrong, but because she thought it was a good idea, since there are new treatments today. Everything was fine."
"I tested positive ... when I was three months pregnant. My doctor had recommended I be tested ... and I thought 'Why not?' never dreaming it would be positive."
"I feel very good about recommending HIV testing during pregnancy ... if someone had clued me in when I was pregnant, I would only have to deal with my own HIV status and not my son's."
"This disease doesn't pick and choose ... it's important for your own health and your child's well-being to get tested whether you feel you're at risk or not."
It's important for pregnant women to get tested for HIV as early in pregnancy as possible.
The sooner a pregnant woman takes the HIV test, the sooner she can:
- Start treatment to protect her baby from getting HIV.
- Make decisions about her health so she can stay healthy longer for her baby.
Call 1-800-541-AIDS to learn more about HIV, testing, and other services or programs.
Adapted from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Regional Pediatric/Family HIV Program 6/99
