Management of HIV infection in pregnancy

Advances in the management of HIV positive patients combined with up to date research, collaborative guidelines and routine antenatal screening has meant that the transmission of HIV-1 from mother to child is now a rare occurrence in the UK. Globally women equally share the burden of HIV associated morbidity and mortality with men, however in the developed world, women represent a minority of those with new HIV infection. The clinical intricacies associated with the management of pregnancy and childbirth necessitates specialist care across multidisciplinary teams, thus ensuring optimal outcomes for mothers and their babies. The global target of eliminating mother to child transmission MTCT requires a major and sustained effort to improve access to testing, antiretroviral therapy and expert multidisciplinary care. The following article highlights the latest research and guidelines applicable to HIV positive expectant mothers in the UK.