The patient at 9 weeks' gestation has been told that her HIV test was positive. The patient is very upset and tells the nurse, "I didn't know I had HIV! What will this do to my baby?" The nurse knows teaching has been effective when the patient states:
A)"I cannot take the medications that control HIV during my pregnancy because they will harm the baby."
B)"My baby will probably be born with anti-HIV antibodies, but that doesn't mean it is infected."
C)"The pregnancy will increase the progression of my disease and will reduce my CD4 counts."
D)"The HIV won't affect my baby, and I will have a low-risk pregnancy without additional testing."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Option B is correct because it accurately reflects the information. If an HIV-positive pregnant woman receives antiretroviral medications during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and her newborn baby receives medication for 4-6 weeks after delivery, the risk of passing HIV to her baby can be decreased to as low as 1%. Additionally, while the presence of anti-HIV antibodies in a newborn does not definitively indicate that a baby is infected with HIV, confirmatory testing is necessary to ensure the baby is negative. Option A is wrong because antiretroviral medications can be safely used during pregnancy to decrease the risk of transmitting HIV to the fetus. Option C is wrong because pregnancy itself does not lead to a decrease in CD4 counts and HIV progression. Option D is wrong because HIV can affect the baby and additional testing is necessary to determine the baby's HIV status.

The Patient at 9 Weeks' Gestation Has Been Told That