Screening for HIV and other health conditions, can give your unborn baby the best possible future health

Choosing to know your HIV and your health status, by keeping up with your regular Health Checks, could be the most important decision you can make as a mother.

Since HIV education started in the mid-1990s, our knowledge of HIV and AIDS has evolved tremendously. Today, we know that pregnant women who have HIV can give birth to healthy babies who are HIV negative. Our medicine has advanced so much that with the right treatment, people with HIV can live long and healthy lives, without the threat of transmitting the condition to their children or loved ones.

Being able to give birth to a healthy, HIV negative baby starts with knowing your status by doing a simple Health Check

All Discovery Health Medical Scheme members are covered for one Health Check per year, which covers all the important bases when it comes to physical health screening and can be booked online. Optional HIV screening is included in your Health Check.

By knowing your HIV status sooner rather than later, you will have the chance to start antiretroviral treatment. If you are pregnant or happen to fall pregnant, this treatment can allow you to give birth to a healthy, HIV negative baby.

Remember, antiretrovirals are available to all HIV-positive South African women, free of charge, even if you don't belong to a medical aid.

Keeping up with your annual preventive screening unlocks additional cover

When you and the family members on your health plan all complete your Health Checks, you unlock a once-off additional benefit called the WELLTH Fund. This benefit covers a list of discretionary health care services and is aimed at helping you detect potential health risks as early as possible, so that the right treatments and interventions can be implemented as and when needed. Discovery Health Medical Scheme members over the age of 18 are covered for HIV testing and counselling by the WELLTH Fund.

When can the virus spread from mother to baby?

An HIV-positive mother can pass the virus on to her baby while she is pregnant, during birth or when breastfeeding. This is called mother-to-child transmission. According to the World Health Organization, the chance that the baby will be HIV positive is 15% to 45% if the mother is not on treatment. With antiretroviral treatment, this statistic falls to 5%.

Preventing mother-to-child transmission became an official National Department of Health policy in 2010. By 2016, UNAIDS estimated that more than 95% of HIV-positive pregnant South African women were receiving antiretroviral treatment to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission. The results were impressive. Mother-to-child transmission rates nationwide fell from 3.6% to 1.5% between 2011 and 2016, achieving the 2015 target of a transmission rate below 2%. According to the South African National AIDS Council, the country is now on track to eliminate mother-to-child transmission.

You can have a vaginal delivery or breastfeed on antiretroviral treatment

Antiretroviral treatment reduces the viral load of HIV in your body. In other words, it reduces how much of the virus can be found in the blood. The aim is to have an undetectable viral load. This does not mean you are cured of HIV, but it does make the chance of you passing on the virus very small. Depending on your health, it may be possible to have a vaginal delivery and breastfeed if your viral load is low enough.

Ask your treating doctor for advice about how best to look after your baby. And if you're a member of Discovery Health Medical Scheme, join the HIV Care programme for comprehensive and confidential help to keep as healthy as possible.

Most people living with HIV do not have any symptoms, so it is important to test regularly. Like with many other health conditions, the sooner you know your status, the sooner you can start working on managing your health and getting support for you and your baby's best possible future health.

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