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HIV TRANSMISSION: ZIDOVUDINE
Posted under Men's Health-Erectile Dysfunction by adminA 1994 study showed that if infected mothers with CD4 counts greater than 200 took zidovudine during their pregnancies and were given zidovudine intravenously during delivery, and if the newborns were given zidovudine orally after birth, then the risk of transmission to the child decreased from 25 percent to about 8 percent. The babies suffered no harm from their mothers having received zidovudine. No trials have yet been concluded on the other medications for treatment of HIV to see if they offer similar benefits, but in certain situations (such as a high viral load for the mother, and thus a higher risk of transmission to the
baby), combination treatment with several medications is being tried. Studies are under way to determine if this approach injures the child or offers additional benefits over using zidovudine alone. A woman should discuss these options with her health care provider.
Because intervention with medication during the pregnancy may significantly decrease the chance that a baby will become infected, it is very important for a woman who is pregnant or who is thinking about becoming pregnant to know her HIV status. Testing is not mandatory, however, and the decision remains each woman’s alone.
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