The number of women with HIV and AIDS is steadily rising: according to the World Health Organization, approximately 44 percent of the 40 million adults living with HIV/AIDS worldwide are women. Young women are the fastest-growing group of people with HIV/AIDS. In the United States, HIV infection is now the third leading cause of death among women ages 25 to 44 and the leading cause of death among black women in this age group. The vast majority of HIV-infected women contracted the virus through sex with a male partner.
It is important for all pregnant women to get prenatal care early in their pregnancy and be tested for HIV. An HIV-infected pregnant woman can transmit the virus to her baby during pregnancy, at labor and delivery, or through breastfeeding. However, medical treatment is available that can reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission by up to two-thirds. The use of drug therapy (such as combination antiretroviral treatment including zidovudine or AZT) has been shown to be safe and effective for both the mother and infant. Florida law requires that health care providers counsel and offer all pregnant women an HIV test at their initial prenatal care visit, and again at 28 - 32 weeks. In the United States, it is recommended that women with HIV or AIDS do not breastfeed their infants.
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