Screening pregnant women to see if they have HIV will reduce the number of babies born with HIV.

Screening and diagnosis during pregnancy allows earlier treatment for mother.  This will improve her health or enable her to stay healthier for longer.  It will also help avoid further transmission of the virus to her partner or future babies.

With treatment in pregnancy

The chance of babies becoming infected with HIV can reduce from 31.5 percent to less than 1 percent if it is known that a pregnant woman has HIV, and she receives appropriate treatment and education about transmission.

There have so far been no babies infected with HIV in New Zealand during pregnancy, birth or postnatally who were born to mothers who were diagnosed during or before pregnancy, treated during pregnancy and did not breast feed their baby.