As Nigeria joined the global community to mark the 2021 World AIDS Day, PUNCH HealthWise spoke with some mothers who got to know their HIV-positive status during antenatal care. They share their experiences on the trauma and fear they had to deal with during pregnancy and their excitement when they gave birth to HIV-negative babies after they were placed on treatment. ANGELA ONWUZOO reports:

Mary cried her heart out on December 31, 2018, when she tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). She was five months pregnant with her second child and her HIV-positive result devastated her. She was screened by the health workers during her antenatal care and when her test result came out positive for HIV, her mind was in turmoil.

The entrepreneur who left the hospital in tears was particularly troubled about how to break the news to her husband.

The 24-year-old mother of four who got married in 2016 could not figure out how she was infected with the deadly virus as she tested negative all through her antenatal care visits when she gave birth to her first child in a government-owned hospital in 2017.

Based on the advice and encouragement of the doctor, Mary, however, summoned courage when she got home and told her husband in tears that she is HIV positive.

The mother of four was extremely afraid that her husband would send her away after hearing the news.

But that didn’t happen as she was surprised that her husband received the news calmly and told her that contracting HIV was not the end of life.

While she was consoled by her husband’s response, she was hopeful that her confirmatory test would be negative. She was, however, also worried about her husband’s status.

The fair complexion woman said she got the shock of her life and became traumatised when her confirmatory test returned positive and her husband tested negative for the virus after he ran his test.

I became HIV positive after my first delivery –mother of four

Sharing her experience with PUNCH HealthWise, Mary who has given birth to three HIV-negative babies since she contracted the infection says she never knew she could still have HIV-negative babies afterward.

“I found out I was HIV positive on December 31, 2018, during my antenatal care (ANC). I was five months pregnant with my second child when I registered for ANC and was asked to run an ANC profile. During the profile, the health workers checked my blood group, genotype, and HIV status. So, when the result of the HIV screening came out, it was positive. That was how I discovered that I am HIV positive.

“When the health workers broke the news to me and gave me my result, the next thing on my mind was suicide.

“I was crying bitterly that I was going to take my life. But one of the doctors that saw the way I was crying and shaking my head counselled me. He took time to talk to me and assured me that contracting HIV is not a death sentence provided I am on treatment and religiously take my drugs.

“He assured me that if I take my medication as advised I will deliver an HIV-negative baby. He suggested I go for a confirmatory test, noting that if the result returns positive I will be placed in a facility where I can access Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission services,” the entrepreneur narrated.

Marry went on, “Though I was somehow relieved after the counselling, my concern was how to break the news to my husband and what would become of my marriage.

“When he returned from his business that day, I started crying and he asked if somebody died. When he became so disturbed about what could make me cry uncontrollably, I summoned courage and broke the news to him. After which I told him I was going to kill myself because I couldn’t explain how I was infected though deep in my heart I was suspecting I got it from him.

“But I was surprised my husband received the news with calmness and told me that contracting HIV is not a death sentence. He asked me to go for a confirmatory test as the doctor suggested before I jump to a conclusion. His response gave me hope. But I was shocked to the marrow and devastated when my husband tested negative to the virus when he had his test done and my confirmatory test returned positive.”

Continuing, she said, “I was however lucky to get my husband’s support despite his status and I was placed in a PMTCT facility for treatment in order not to infect my baby.

“So, at PMTCT clinic, I was given antiretroviral treatment and counselled how to be regular with my drugs in order not to infect my baby. The important thing according to physicians at the facility is to take my drugs properly as prescribed and I did.

“And to the glory of God, I gave birth to an HIV-negative baby in 2019. I am excited to say that I have given birth to three HIV-negative babies vaginally since I was infected. Necessary and confirmatory tests have been carried out on them and they all tested negative. The status of my children excites me despite living with the virus.”

On the issue of breastfeeding, she said, “I breastfed them for six months after which I introduced infant formula.”

ANC helps to detect HIV-positive mothers

A medical researcher, Dr. Dan Onwujekwe says HIV can be transmitted from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding if she is not on treatment.

Onwujekwe, a retired Chief Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba Lagos, told PUNCH HealthWise that it is also compulsory to test all pregnant women for HIV when they come to an antenatal clinic, stressing that it helps in the prevention of motor-to-child transmission of HIV.

“If we can provide antenatal care to every pregnant woman and during the antenatal care we offer them HIV testing, we would be able to detect those who are HIV positive and put them on treatment.

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