HIV-positive pregnant
women and their families receive state-of-the-art care in a supportive
clinical environment the EVMS Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Together
with the Children's AIDS Research and Education Center at Children's
Hospital of The King's Daughters and the Combined Immunodeficiency Clinic
in the Adult Infectious Disease Clinic located at Hofheimer Hall, seropositive
women are guaranteed the most comprehensive and up-to-date HIV care
in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
HIV care is provided
by us to more than 95% of HIV-positive pregnant women in the region of
Southeastern Virginia and Northern North Carolina. In the past
few years, approximately 60 to 70 pregnant women with HIV have been
managed per year by the HIV in Pregnancy Program at EVMS.
The program serves
as a center for research in the field of HIV/AIDS through the National
Institutes of Health [NIH]. This allows families receiving HIV-related
care to participate in the newest medical treatment regimens to combat
this disease. The
HIV in Pregnancy Program was a clinical site for the ACTG 185 clinical
trial in pregnancy, which has now been completed and has significantly
impacted medical management of this disorder in pregnancy nationwide.
This program is also a recipient of Ryan White Funding, which is provided
to support the cost of anti-viral medications for indigent women with
HIV in pregnancy.
All women receive
High Risk Obstetrical care through the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine,
with consultation from the adult infectious disease specialists. Seropositive
women also meet with pediatric infectious disease specialists during
their pregnancy so that they may understand the care that their baby
will need after delivery. After delivery, follow-up with continued specialized
care is arranged to assure no interruption in medical therapy for HIV
for both mother and baby.
Since the inception
of this multidisciplinary and unique HIV in pregnancy program in 1992,
the perinatal transmission rate (from mother to baby) of HIV in the
Hampton Roads region has dropped dramatically from 50% (one of the highest
in the nation) to less than 2% in 2006 (lower than the national reported average
of 2-5%).
This information
is not intended to substitute or replace the professional medical advice
you receive from your physician. The content provided on this page is
for informational purposes only, and was not designed to diagnose or
treat a health problem or disease. Please consult your physician with
any questions or concerns you may have regarding a medical condition.
