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2006 AIDS Prince Edward Island
Raising Awareness - Educating - Building Community
Testing Issues for Specific Populations
Pregnant Women
The antibody test may not be appropriate for a pregnant woman who has had recent exposure to HIV. If she is trying to decide whether to continue or terminate her pregnancy, she cannot afford the three to six month waiting period the antibody test requires. In such cases, the viral load test may be ordered by a physician to help the woman make more informed decisions. Research presented at the 12th World AIDS Conference conclusively indicates that even short-term AZT therapy during the late stages of pregnancy and delivery reduces mother-to-child HIV transmission. Knowledge of one's HIV status can help a pregnant woman make informed decisions about her care.
Newborns and Children
During pregnancy a mother transfers her immunities to the child. If she is infected, her antibodies to HIV are transferred. Therefore, after a child is born and for the first 12 to 18 months, the child will test positive with an antibody test. This may not mean that the child is infected. After 12 to 18 months, the child will shed the mother's antibodies. If it is infected, the child will continue to test positive with an antibody test.
The recently developed IgA antibody test may offer a cheaper alternative than the viral load test for determining infant infection as early as six months after birth. Unlike HIV, IgA antibodies do not travel across the placenta to the fetus. This simple and relatively inexpensive test appears to reveal the child's, rather than the mother's, response to HIV.
HIV testing presents special problems for children under 12 years old and infants under 18months old. When an HIV-positive mother gives birth, her child may be HIV-negative yet still have the mother's antibodies in its bloodstream. For this reason, the antibody test is not a reliable indicator of HIV status for children under 18 months. In cases such as these, the viral load test may be used to provide additional information about the child's immune system.
For more information call AIDS PEI at 566-2437.