page_title: HIV/AIDS in Australia
section_title: Pregnant while HIV-positive
hierarchical_section_title: HIV/AIDS in Australia / HIV/AIDS and Pregnant Australian Women / Pregnant while HIV-positive
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of abdomen of a pregnant woman
context_page_description: The history of HIV/AIDS in Australia is distinctive, as Australian government bodies recognised and responded to the AIDS pandemic relatively swiftly, with the implementation of effective disease prevention and public health programs, such as needle and syringe programs. As a result, despite significant numbers of at-risk group members contracting the virus in the early period following its discovery, the country achieved and has maintained a low rate of HIV infection in comparison to the rest of the world.
  At the end of 2017, 27 545 people were estimated to be living with HIV in Australia. 20 922 infections were attributable to male‐to‐male sex exposure, 6 245 to heterosexual sex, 605 to injecting drug use, and 168 to ‘other’ exposures. AIDS is no longer considered an epidemic or a public health issue in Australia, due to the success of anti-retroviral drugs and extremely low HIV-to-AIDS progression rates.
  The first recorded case of HIV/AIDS in Australia was in Sydney in October 1982, and the first Australian death from AIDS occurred in Melbourne in July 1983.
context_section_description: Risks of passing on the HIV virus to an unborn child is extremely high for women whom have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. In Australia, it is a part of routine antenatal testing that mothers undergo a blood test to check for HIV/AIDS. HIV transmission to an unborn child is often called Perinatal HIV transmission, Vertical Transmission or Mother-To-Child-Transmission (MTCT). There are three main ways a mother can risk passing on the HIV virus to her child and that is during the pregnancy via crossing of the placenta, during birth if the baby comes in contact with the mothers bodily fluids and through the practice of breastfeeding.  
  Therefore, when falling pregnant it is important for a mother to access additional Antenatal care. Visitation to an infectious disease physician, experienced obstetrician, paediatrician and midwife is recommended. As well as accessing additional psycho-social support such as a counselor and support worker.
  To reduce the risks of MTCT the mother can start preparing prenatally with a series of anti-retroviral medications. Using other means of conception practices such as the method of 'sperm washing'. This is where the sperm cells are separated from the seminal fluid and used to fertilise a woman's eggs via the use of a catheter or in vitro fertilisation (IVF) methods. Seeking additional medical checkups to observe clinical markers determining disease progression along with regular observations of baby's development can also help in monitoring the health of the baby.
  In addition, the postnatal care taken to reduce risks of MTCT include avoiding procedures where the baby's skin may be cut or electing to have a cesarean section to reduce the risk of contact with body fluids. Ensuring the baby's eyes and head are cleaned, the umbilical cord is clamped as soon as possible and placing an absorption pack (towel or sponge) over the umbilical cord when cut to prevent blood spurting will also reduce the risk of the baby coming in contact with any contaminated fluids. Bottle feeding the baby also removes any chance of coming in contact with infected body fluids. Along with the mother taking anti-retroviral medication, giving the baby a course of this until it is 4–6 weeks of age also drastically reduces its risk of transmission. Medical practitioners also require the infant undergo regular blood tests at 1 week, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, 12 months and 18 months to test for any evidence of the HIV virus.
caption: Pregnant woman
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