HIV prevention in maternal health services: programming guide.

While this guide primarily addresses HIV prevention it also makes the link to other STI’s since these can increase a pregnant woman’s succeptibility to HIV infection and since both HIV/AIDS and other STI’s can be transmitted to the foetus or newborn child. While preventing HIV infection in pregnant women is a critical element in preventing HIV transmission to the child (vertical transmission) this guide does not attempt to duplicate the many training aides and programme guides that already address prevention of vertical transmission. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) is more than the provision of antiretroviral drugs to prevent transmission of HIV from an HIV-positive woman to her infant. A comprehensive programme to prevent HIV transmission to pregnant women mothers and their children which has been endorsed by the UN system includes four elements known as PMTCT defined as: 1. Prevention of HIV especially among young people and pregnant women. 2. Prevention of unintended pregnancies among HIV-infected women. 3. Prevention of HIV transmission from HIV-infected women to their infants. 4. Provision of treatment care and support to HIV-infected women and their families. This guide focuses primarily on the first of the four elements. (excerpt)