Jasmine cannot contain her pride when she talks about her 14-month-old daughter Alexia (not their real names). "She is just so smart, so full of life," says the delighted mother. Jasmine has every right to be thrilled with her healthy little girl. While Jasmine is HIV-positive, Alexia is not.

Jasmine, who immigrated to North America from Africa eight years ago, had no idea she was HIV-positive until she requested an HIV test during her annual physical checkup. However, she decided to have a child when she learned the baby could be born healthy provided the proper precautions were taken. "I thought if it is me who has the sickness, let it only be me, but don't let it be my child."

Several years ago, medical researchers discovered that HIV-positive women who receive the proper treatment during pregnancy could dramatically decrease the chances of passing the disease on to their babies. Since that time new treatments have been discovered and today HIV-positive pregnant women who follow the prescribed course of treatment have a 97 to 99 per cent chance of giving birth to healthy babies.

In 1998, shortly after this discovery, Ontario started offering routine HIV screening to all pregnant women and to those thinking about becoming pregnant - regardless of risk. The HIV test can be done at the same time as other routine prenatal tests, or if a woman prefers, she can be tested at one of Ontario's 33 anonymous HIV testing sites where identifying information is not collected and comprehensive counselling is guaranteed.

Like Jasmine, many women do not know they are HIV-positive until it is discovered during a routine blood test. Jasmine was fortunate to find out before she conceived. "I was absolutely shocked," she says about the test results she received in 2000.

Ontario's voluntary, routine HIV screening test for all pregnant women ensures they have the opportunity to remain as healthy as possible during and following their pregnancies and prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to baby.

Unfortunately, despite the screening program, 10 per cent of pregnant women in Ontario are still not being tested and as a result HIV-positive infants continue to be born in the province.

"Some women are declining the test because they believe they are not at risk. Others are not being offered the test by their healthcare provider," says Dr. Stan Read, Chief, Infectious Diseases, Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. "This is a tragedy to us as the continued birth of HIV-positive infants shows that these people need to be tested. Most importantly, women and their babies can be treated if it is discovered they are indeed HIV-positive."

The best thing that has happened to Jasmine since learning she was HIV-negative was delivering a healthy daughter. "It was just such a huge relief. I still cannot believe it. It is such a blessing."

See also :

• HIV Testing Available Through Routine Prenatal Screening
• Living With HIV : The Experience of One Mother and Her child
• Article : Uptake for Prenatal HIV Testing in Ontario Increases to 90 per cent

June 2004

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