When to start treatment

A number of studies have looked at the best time for a pregnant, HIV-positive woman to start treatment. The guiding principle for regimen choice is to balance the risk of HIV transmission with the toxicities of therapy.

Women who do not yet require HIV treatment for their own health, should be treated with short-term antiretroviral therapy if their viral load is above 10,000 copies/ml. Treatment with a standard antiretroviral regimen should begin in the second trimester with the goal of reducing viral load to below 50 copies/ml before delivery.

Women who require treatment for HIV disease for their own health should be treated with an antiretroviral regimen regardless of viral load.1

See below for more information on the type of regimen.

References

  1. de Ruiter A et al. British HIV Association and Children's HIV Association guidelines for the management of HIV infection in pregnant women 2008. HIV Med 9: 452-502. Available online at www.bhiva.org, 2008
This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.