HIV and OB transmission

Q: Antiretroviral use during pregnancy, at the time of delivery, and breastfeeding can eliminate the chances of HIV transmission by? - select one

A) about 50%

B) almost 100%

Answer: A

Over the years, antiretroviral therapy (ART) has become more of a preventive drug than a treatment. Interestingly and fortunately, use of ART during pregnancy, at the time of delivery, and breastfeeding can eliminate transmission almost 100%. 

The sad part is that the data up to 2024 showed that 1.4 million children under 15 years of age were living with HIV globally. And in resource-limited but high-burden countries, like Angola, Chad, and Nigeria, less than 50 percent of the pregnant or breastfeeding women living with HIV are receiving antiretroviral medicines.

#epidemiology

#ID

#Ob-gyn

References: 

1. Eke AC, Lockman S, Mofenson LM. Antiretroviral Treatment of HIV/AIDS During Pregnancy. JAMA. 2023 Apr 18;329(15):1308-1309. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.5076. PMID: 37010862; PMCID: PMC10390091.

2. Short WR, Lowenthal ED, Momplaisir F, Powis KM, Scott RK, Yee LM, Miller ES, Mofenson LM. HIV and Pregnancy: Navigating Complex Decision Making and Preventing Perinatal Transmission. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2025 Jun 7;22(1):36. doi: 10.1007/s11904-025-00745-0. PMID: 40481940; PMCID: PMC12145298.

3. Fleșeriu T, Meliț LE, Mărginean CO, Pop AV, Văsieșiu AM. Maternal HIV Infection and Antiretroviral Therapy in Pregnancy: Implications for Vertical Transmission, Fetal Safety, and Long-Term Infant Outcomes. Pathogens. 2025 Aug 19;14(8):818. doi: 10.3390/pathogens14080818. PMID: 40872328; PMCID: PMC12389244.