Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is a retrovirus, which means that it becomes part of the genetic material that forms the cells in your body.
This viral infection infects cells of the central nervous systemAn intricate network of structures that runs extensively throughout the body and activates, coordinates and controls all functions of the body.
The nervous system consists of two parts, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system includes the cranial nerves and spinal nerves.
Afferent fibers carry sensory impulses to the central nervous system. Efferent fibers carry motor impulses in the form of electrical energy from the central nervous system to the muscles and other organs.
Somatic fibers are those associated with the bones, muscles and the skin. Visceral fibers are those associated with the internal organs, blood vessels and mucus membrane. All of the functions are coordinated by a network of tiny structures including neurons, axons, dendrites and ganglia.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions., and white blood cells called helper lymphocytes and macrophages. Helper lymphocytes perform a protective function that helps the body fight diseases: an action called 'cell mediated immunity.' During pregnancy, cells of the placentaThe placenta is a large disk shaped membrane responsible for providing nourishment to the fetus during pregnancy. It consists of three parts, the fetal part made up from the chorion membrane surrounding the fetus, the maternal part, formed from the decidua basalis layer of the uterine lining, and the intervillous space between the two plates. It is connected to the fetus by the umbilical cord and consists of tissue from both the mother and the embryo.
Its function is complex. It has been described as a simple organ that combines the functions of a kidney-dialysis machine, heart and lung machine and intravenous drip. It consists of enormous numbers of blood vessel branches that permit the exchange of nutrition and oxygen, from the mother's bloodstream to the fetus and the removal of wastes to the mother to be excreted. The placenta's remarkable quality is that it does so without the blood of the mother mixing with that of the baby.
It also is responsible for the production of vital hormones including, estrogen, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin. After birth, the placenta is delivered, and is sometimes referred to as the afterbirth.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. are also infected.
As the HIV infection develops, the body's ability to use its white blood cells to fight infections is reduced, which results in a progressive decline of the immune system. Eventually the effectiveness of the immune system is so reduced that the body contracts a rare type of cancer, dementia, slim disease (a type of wasting syndrome) or some other infection. When this occurs, AIDS is considered to have developed. The average time between infection with HIV and the development AIDS is ten years, with about ten to thirty percent (1 - 3 in 10) people developing AIDS within four years.
If you suspect that you have contracted HIV, your doctor can perform a test to discover whether there are antibodiesA protein immunoglobulin which is produced naturally by the body and is essential to the immune system by working to combat foreign bodies, germs or bacteria. They are produced by thelymphoid tissue and consist of different classes each of which is designed to fight specific antigens. They include agglutinins, bacteriolysins, opsonins and preciptin.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. to the virus in your blood. If this test returns positive, the test is repeated, followed by a third and different test to confirm the diagnosis.
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Intravenous injection of drugs using contaminated needles accounts for over half of all HIV infections among women. One third of infected women contract the disease through heterosexual relations. Those at risk of becoming infected are people who use illicit intravenous drugs, have multiple sexual partners, or come from a country with a high incidence of the infection. The risk of contracting the infection from a blood transfusion is very low, only 0.0005%, because blood is now universally screened.
Of those all people infected, women account for just over ten percent (1 in 10). Of these eighty percent (4 in 5) are African American or Hispanic. Most cases reported in New York, New Jersey and Florida and you should consider being screened if you or your partner are from one of these areas.
The pregnancy hormone progesteroneOne of the two naturally occuring female hormones (the other is estrogen) used to regulate and maintain the pregnancy. Produced first by the corpus luteum in the ovary, production is subsequently taken over by the placenta as it develops. During pregnancy a mother's production of progesterone ten times the level it was prior to conception. Progesterone and estrogen are responsible for giving many mothers a sense of tranquility, shiny hair and glowing skin.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions., reduces the effectiveness of the mother's immune system, so that the body does not produce antibodiesA protein immunoglobulin which is produced naturally by the body and is essential to the immune system by working to combat foreign bodies, germs or bacteria. They are produced by thelymphoid tissue and consist of different classes each of which is designed to fight specific antigens. They include agglutinins, bacteriolysins, opsonins and preciptin.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. to the fetus, which is considered 'foreign.' This condition is called immunosuppression. During the last few months of pregnancy, the number of T cells, which fight infection, are also reduced. Women who are HIV positive are already immunosuppressed, and there is considerable debate whether pregnancy increases the progression of HIV to AIDS.
Cities with large hospitals will be equipped for HIV positive pregnancies, and staffed with highly trained midwives, obstetricians and doctors specializing in genitourinary medicine. Although they will know that you are HIV positive, your condition can be kept confidential, with no record on your notes and chart.
If you are HIV positive, but otherwise healthy, your pregnancy will not be affected by the virus. But you will need to see an obstetrician who specializes in fetal medicine and a specialist in infectious diseases. Because of your immunosuppressed state, your obstetrician will monitor your pregnancy closely, and encourage you to take iron to prevent the onset of anemia, and folic acid to fight infections. Your obstetrician will also make you have regular Pap smears to screen for sexually transmitted diseases, and tests to measure your CD4 counts will be performed. Women who have already developed AIDS are at risk from a variety of viruses and infections that may affect them and their pregnancy.
Women who are HIV positive are increasingly likely to have a successful pregnancy as doctors develop procedures to manage both the infection and the pregnancy. But there is still a risk that the baby will be born with HIV antibodies. Often these are maternal antibodies that disappear within eighteen months, but they can be an indication that the baby has become infected and may develop AIDS. If you are HIV positive you will be provided with counseling and many specialists will recommend a therapeutic abortion if the pregnancy is confirmed prior to week sixteen. You may also be advised to undergo permanent sterilization after delivery to avoid a future conception.
As the baby passes through the birth canalThe passage through which the baby passes during delivery from the inlet of the true pelvis to the vaginal orifice.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. it comes into contact with your blood and other fluids that may be infected. Your obstetrician will probably recommend that you have a cesarean section if you are HIV positive, reducing the risk of infection by about one quarter. Other procedures that may normally be performed during labor such as fetal blood sampling or scalp electrodes will also be avoided to reduce the risk of blood contamination.
It is not possible to determine if the baby has contracted HIV in uteroMedical term from the latin meaning inside the uterus.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions.. Amniocentesis is unable to detect the infection, and exposes the fetus to the virus as the needle must pass through the mother's tissues before sampling the amniotic fluidThe liquid, which is produced by both the fetal membranes and the fetus that surrounds the baby during pregnancy. The liter of fluid at term serves to protect the fetus during pregnancy and also provide active chemical exchange.
The amniotic fluid consists of maternal and fetal plasma in varying concentrations. The pH of the fluid is almost neutral and clear, although lipids and desquamated fetal cells can make it cloudy.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions.. This test also puts the specialist performing the test at risk of contamination.
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There risk of a baby getting infected during pregnancy is twenty five to thirty percent (1 in 3 to 4). If the mother contracts HIV herself while pregnant the risk may be higher because her body has yet to develop antibodies to fight the infection. The risk is also increased if her disease is severe. There is a higher incidence of HIV infection if the baby is born prematurely, because the baby's immune system is still underdeveloped, so your obstetrician will watch you closely for signs of premature labor.
Studies have shown that the risk of transmitting the virus to the baby can be reduced by taking the antiretroviral agent azidothymidine or AZT. Babies whose mothers were given oral AZT in late pregnancy have an eight percent chance of contracting HIV, with no increased risk of birth defects, although there may be mild anemia immediately after delivery. Although the reasons why AZT has proven effective are still unclear, experts suggest that by reducing the severity of the virus in the mother there is a reduced risk of infection in the baby. AZT causes several side effects such as an upset stomach, anemia, headaches and muscle soreness, many of which can be confused with common complaints of pregnancy. Your obstetrician will adjust your dose to reduce onset of side effects.
The HIV virus can be transmitted through a variety of body fluids. After a successful pregnancy and delivery it is important that you do not breastfeed your baby since there is a twenty five to thirty five percent (1 in 3 or 4) chance of infection through breast milk. You should also take care not transmit the virus to your baby through other contact, such as blood to blood contact from an open wound or sore. The infection cannot be transmitted by kissing, so you should cuddle and comfort your baby enthusiastically!
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