Introduction

The HIV/AIDS pandemic has affected millions of people throughout the world since it was first described in the early 1980s. No continent is spared from the pandemic.

HIV can be transmitted from one person to another by unprotected sexual intercourse, by transfer of infected blood, as well as from mother to child during pregnancy, labour and delivery, and during breastfeeding.It is important to counsel pregnant women about prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV and to test them for HIV, as a routine part of ANC.

This study session describes what PMTCT is and elaborates the basic steps and techniques of counselling pregnant women and ways to test and link the service for them.