When one can infect two: a reflection on the impact of HIV discordance on child HIV infection.
This is an opinion piece based on data and experience from Rwanda. The authors believe this opinion piece may help improve current programs on prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child in Africa taking into account the prevalence of HIV sero-discordance in couples. The authors recommend that if we want to ensure newborns stay HIV negative, PMTCT protocols should offer a series of HIV tests linked with antenatal visits and the lactation period as well as HIV testing of current sexual partners. Moreover, if the male partner is found to be positive and the woman is negative, programs should provide intensive counseling on the use of condoms. The lives of three individuals have the potential to be changed from HIV testing and counseling. Morally, this cannot be ignored.
Rwanda Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda.
Agnes
A
Binagwaho
Niloo
N
Ratnayake
Joia
J
Mukherjee
Jules
J
Mugabo
Etienne
E
Karita
Elisabetta
E
Pegurri
D002648:Child; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012432:Rwanda; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*