Current antiviral recommendations are the same for men and women. For women, however, physicians should give consideration to weight. The dosage for a six foot male may not be ideal for a five foot female. And there may be drug interactions that are uniquely femalefor example, the interaction between the various protease inhibitors and oral contraceptives. As noted above, most women who are infected with HIV are in their child-bearing years and thus the issue of pregnancy is an important one for many of them.
Transmission can occur in the womb, at the time of birth or after birth through breast feeding.
In general, the higher the viral load of the mother the greater the risk of transmission to the baby. Other factors which increase risk of transmission are age and smoking. To lessen the risk of transmission at birth, some physicians are suggesting a cesarean section, rather than vaginal delivery. In other words, the use of AZT reduced the risk of transmission by some 17 percentage points. Clearly, AZT as an antiviral can reduce viral load.