AHMEDABAD: Around 200 HIV positive couples in Ahmedabad have kicked the dreaded infection in the womb with medical intervention. These families have children who don't carry the burden of their parents' disease.
Savita, a nurse and her builder Rajesh have not allowed HIV infection to derail their lives. The two met in the waiting room of their doctor after being infected, liked each other and got married.
The balance tipped in their favor when they gave birth to a daughter who tested HIV negative. "We are elated. A healthy child has made me forget all the wrongs that happened to me," Savita said.
For thousands struggling with HIV, hope is being delivered through the 'Gujarat Mother to Child HIV Prevention' programme run by a group of doctors in Ahmedabad. Of the 200 babies of HIV-positive couples they have delivered, 198 are negative and healthy.
Gynecologist Dr Riddhi Shukla says that with HIV gaining acceptability, some partners have chosen to stay with their spouses despite the infection. Artificial insemination methods like intra uterine insemination where the sperm is laboratory washed is used. IVF can also be done but is still not very popular.
"The sperm itself does not carry the virus but is present in the seminal fluid. Once it is washed, it becomes safe. Moreover, the mother is put on Anti Retroviral Therapy from the fourth month till the child is delivered. If the CD 4 count, which is an indicator for high infection, is low ART is started before conception as well," Shukla said.
Infectious diseases consultant Dr Atul Patel and paediatrician Dr Rakesh Sharma are also part of the programme. "Once the child is born, he or she is given ART syrup for one-and-half months," Sharma said. "A few years ago, couples would come to us stealthily but now we see parents and in-laws tagging along. The stigma is diminishing," Sharma added.
Savita, a nurse and her builder Rajesh have not allowed HIV infection to derail their lives. The two met in the waiting room of their doctor after being infected, liked each other and got married.
The balance tipped in their favor when they gave birth to a daughter who tested HIV negative. "We are elated. A healthy child has made me forget all the wrongs that happened to me," Savita said.
For thousands struggling with HIV, hope is being delivered through the 'Gujarat Mother to Child HIV Prevention' programme run by a group of doctors in Ahmedabad. Of the 200 babies of HIV-positive couples they have delivered, 198 are negative and healthy.
Gynecologist Dr Riddhi Shukla says that with HIV gaining acceptability, some partners have chosen to stay with their spouses despite the infection. Artificial insemination methods like intra uterine insemination where the sperm is laboratory washed is used. IVF can also be done but is still not very popular.
"The sperm itself does not carry the virus but is present in the seminal fluid. Once it is washed, it becomes safe. Moreover, the mother is put on Anti Retroviral Therapy from the fourth month till the child is delivered. If the CD 4 count, which is an indicator for high infection, is low ART is started before conception as well," Shukla said.
Infectious diseases consultant Dr Atul Patel and paediatrician Dr Rakesh Sharma are also part of the programme. "Once the child is born, he or she is given ART syrup for one-and-half months," Sharma said. "A few years ago, couples would come to us stealthily but now we see parents and in-laws tagging along. The stigma is diminishing," Sharma added.
