Programme messages

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that affects the body’s ability to fight infection. It can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) if left undetected and untreated.
A woman with HIV can pass the virus on to others, including her baby during pregnancy, birth or through breastmilk.
The number of people with HIV in New Zealand is low. However, that number is increasing and so all pregnant women are being offered an HIV test as part of their antenatal care.
Screening for HIV is strongly recommended for all pregnant women.
The screening test for HIV will be offered at the same time as other routine antenatal blood tests (Rhesus factor and blood cell antibodies, full blood count, hepatitis B, rubella and syphilis). One sample of blood can be used for all the tests.
The health professional who requested the blood test will provide the women with their result. The majority of pregnant women will be found not to have HIV.
If a woman’s HIV test is positive, professional advice, help and support will be given to help look after her health, her baby’s health and that of her partner, family or whānau. Pregnant women with HIV will be referred for specialist consultant care and treatment.
Treatment to prevent HIV being passed on to the baby is very effective. Without treatment there is between a 25 and 31.5 percent chance the baby will be born with HIV. With treatment, the chance of the baby being born with HIV is less than 1 percent.
Pregnant women with HIV will usually be offered a combination of treatment and interventions including:
- Medicines during pregnancy and birth to help women stay healthy for longer, and to prevent them from passing the virus on to the baby
- Advice about safe delivery methods
- Medicines for the baby which will be offered for a few weeks after birth. Current international evidence suggests that the drug treatment before and after birth causes no harm in babies.
- Advice about the safest feeding methods for the baby
New Zealand’s Antenatal HIV screening programme commenced from March 2006 in Waikato DHB and screening should be being offered to all pregnant women by the end of 2009.
A multidisciplinary advisory group has been established to advise on the implementation of the programme and will continue to assist with ongoing monitoring after implementation is complete.