There is One detail I often forget, Dear Readers, and that is to take a before picture when I start to work on any project that has been languishing for a while. I wrongly assume that I will be able to find a picture somewhere in my archives that shows just where I was when I stopped working on the project.
Women who are planning on becoming pregnant or who are pregnant should be tested for HIV as soon as possible. The womanâs partner should also be tested. The March of Dimes recommends that all women of childbearing age who may have been exposed to HIV should be tested before becoming pregnant.
The usual HIV antibody test is not used to test for HIV in babies. Babies born to HIV positive mothers will always test HIV positive using an HIV antibody test. This is normal and does not mean your baby has HIV. Your baby shares your immune responses that the antibody test looks for. It sometimes takes up to 18 months for these responses to gradually disappear. The baby will be tested using an HIV PCR DNA or RNA test. These tests look for virus in the babyâs blood. In the UK, it is good practice to test the baby on the day she or he is born. The test is repeated after six weeks and again at three months. If all these tests are negative, and you are not breastfeeding your baby, then your baby does not have HIV.