HIV, African women, and pregnancy

Among my recent clients have been a number of young African women expecting their first child. They have generally been referred to me by an NHS Clinic. The majority were unaware of being HIV+ until the results of consensual screening tests at the antenatal clinic.

This is the recent story of one young woman who I met recently and who went on to have a perfectly healthy baby.

Tabeth is a 25 year old asylum seeker from Sub-Saharan Africa who came to the United Kingdom at the age of 19 to study Law at university. She explained that she did not complete her course because she ran out of money and her family could not continue to fund her due to problems back home.

Tabeth claimed asylum and was housed in Glasgow where she has been living for about three years now. She soon reached an age where, in accordance with African culture, young women are expected to bear children. She was by now in a relationship with another asylum seeker from SSA.

When Tabeth went to her first antenatal clinic they asked for her consent for an HIV test.

As she explains:-

"I actually agreed because I did not think I could have AIDS; where would I have gotten it from? So I was in complete shock when the results came back and they told me that I was HIV+. I went back home and cried and told my partner, who then was very upset and wanted me to have an abortion, which I do not believe in.

When I went for my first visit to the GUM they referred me to THT to see a Health Trainer. The Health Trainer was so kind and reassured me that it was possible for me to have a child without HIV as long as I worked with the GUM and took my medication as prescribed.

She told me that I needed to concentrate on my pregnancy, and hopefully my immigration status would be resolved at some point. Accessing the Health Trainer at THT was the best thing I ever did because I felt quite abandoned when my partner left me after he tested negative for HIV.

My son was quite small at birth but now he is gaining a lot of weight. I am attending my local hospital and clinics and they tell me he is doing well.

I am so glad that I allowed them to test me because I was not sure if I could pass HIV to my son. He is not HIV positive, and for me that is a joy. As for the father, I am not in touch with him anymore which is fine by me because from the day he got his negative result he became quite abusive. He has been granted his refugee status but that does not matter. I will wait for the Home Office to decide on my case."