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What Works for Women and Girls

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mission of HIV. HIV testing <strong>and</strong> counseling allows women to know their serostatus <strong>and</strong> makeappropriate decisions to prevent vertical transmission. Maternal use of ARV therapy <strong>for</strong> herown health saves the lives of both mother <strong>and</strong> child <strong>and</strong> reduces orphan death in the long term.ARV prophylaxis during pregnancy drastically reduces perinatal transmission. Initiating ARVtherapy or prophylaxis in a timely fashion <strong>and</strong> adherence are also important. [See Chapter 7.Treatment] A 2008 review on child survival <strong>and</strong> PMTCT reported that child survival dependslargely upon the mother’s health <strong>and</strong> survival. HAART <strong>for</strong> pregnant women dramaticallyreduces perinatal transmission; reduces the risk of resistance to antiretroviral drugs relatedto monotherapy or duo therapy; <strong>and</strong> the risk of virological failure of HAART <strong>for</strong> HIV-positivechildren (Russo et al., 2009). In November 2009, WHO released new rapid advice recommendingARV use <strong>for</strong> treatment or prophylaxis <strong>for</strong> pregnant women: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/mtct/rapid_advice_mtct.pdf.Improvement of maternal health services globally will be necessary to reach all women<strong>and</strong> infants who need services, ensuring safe motherhood <strong>and</strong> prevention of vertical transmission.Provision of contraception to women who wish to avoid pregnancy is the first stepin preventing vertical transmission. In order to best advise a woman living with HIV abouther options <strong>for</strong> safe motherhood <strong>and</strong> prevention of HIV transmission to her future child, it isoptimal to reach her prior to pregnancy. However, most women become aware of their positiveserostatus once they are pregnant, via HIV testing during antenatal care. Strengtheningaccess to early antenatal care, services <strong>for</strong> labor <strong>and</strong> delivery <strong>and</strong> postpartum is essential toproviding adequate PMTCT services. During antenatal care, HIV testing, treatment options,syphilis screening malaria prophylaxis <strong>and</strong> other essential antenatal care must be fundamentalservices <strong>for</strong> pregnant women living with HIV. Access to basic emergency obstetric care <strong>and</strong>emergency obstetric care is also essential <strong>for</strong> pregnant women living with HIV. All the interventionsnoted in “<strong>What</strong> <strong>Works</strong>, Safe Motherhood” (Gay et al., 2003) take on additional importance<strong>for</strong> HIV-positive women [www.policyproject.com/pubs/generalreport/SM_<strong>What</strong><strong>Works</strong>ps2.pdf]. For recent evidence <strong>and</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation on maternal health, see also WHO, 2010a; WHO,2009g; WHO, 2006c <strong>and</strong> the website of the Maternal Health Task<strong>for</strong>ce: www.maternalhealthtask<strong>for</strong>ce.org.The evidence <strong>for</strong> what works in preventing perinatal transmission in this chapter is organizedaccording to the way women access health services, particularly maternal health services:prevention of unintended pregnancies, preconception planning; antenatal care (testing <strong>and</strong>counseling, treatment); delivery; <strong>and</strong> postpartum.Not All of the Science Related to PMTCT Is ResolvedIn many respects, programming <strong>for</strong> PMTCT is quite advanced <strong>and</strong> yet <strong>for</strong> some aspects ofPMTCT, current research provides incomplete <strong>and</strong> complex guidance, adding to the ongoingchallenge of programming to meet the needs of women <strong>and</strong> to reduce vertical transmission.Many unknowns remain about HIV in pregnancy <strong>and</strong> how best to provide appropriate <strong>and</strong>WHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS209

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