Pregnancy and Newborns

Women living with HIV have the fundamental right to make informed, uncoerced choices about their sexual and reproductive health and pregnancy, and have the right to receive non-discriminatory medical care to help them conceive, carry a pregnancy, and give birth. Newborns born to parents with HIV also have the right to non-discriminatory medical treatment to ensure their health and well-being. Since HIV can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy and birth and through breastfeeding, women with HIV may be presented with complex health decisions. While advances in antiretroviral treatment have significantly reduced mother-to-child transmission rates, women with HIV must consider a host of issues when determining the best course of treatment for their health and the health of their child. Throughout this process, their right to make informed choices about their health care must remain paramount in the face of stigma, discrimination, and misinformation. 

This HIV Policy Resource Bank category provides materials related to autonomy, discrimination, informed consent, and parental rights in the areas of HIV prevention, testing, and treatment for pregnant women and newborns.