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• Ages and Stages
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What tests for infection are usually done during pregnancy?

Doctors strongly recommend testing for hepatitis B, rubella (German measles), syphilis, group B streptococcus and HIV in every pregnancy. Some provinces also test for chickenpox.

Depending on your medical history, tests can also be done for other infections such as chlamydia or parvovirus. All of these infections could hurt the baby if they are not prevented or treated. 

Do I have to take these tests?

These tests are offered to you for your own health and the health of your baby. However, you can choose to accept them or not. 

Why should I have an HIV test during pregnancy?

If you have HIV and are not treated, there is a one in four risk that your baby will have HIV. If you are treated, the risk drops to about one in 100. Treatment will also improve your own health. It is important for you to be as healthy as possible during your pregnancy so that you have the best chance of having a healthy baby. 

How is the HIV test done?

It is a regular blood test. 

I already had a blood test during this pregnancy. Wouldn’t they have checked it for HIV?

There are many reasons to do blood tests during your pregnancy. If your doctor did not discuss HIV testing with you, it probably wasn’t done. Even if you had an HIV test done and it was negative, you should have the test done again during each pregnancy.

Is there anything else I should know about being tested for HIV?

The decision to take the test and then wait for the results can be very stressful. If your test results are HIV-positive, you will have many decisions to make.

Even though it is stressful, you need this information to decide what is best for you and your family. There is support available for women who find out that they are HIV-positive during pregnancy. 

How do people get HIV?

HIV is passed from one person to another:

• through sexual intercourse (although it’s much less likely if a condom is used properly);
• through blood (for example, sharing needles or syringes); and/or
• from mother to baby.

Most women with HIV have been infected through sexual intercourse. Many of these women did not know their partner was HIV-positive.

If you do drugs or get a new sexual partner while you are pregnant, or do not totally trust your partner, you should be tested at the beginning and at the end of each pregnancy. 

I am thinking about having a baby. Should I have a test for HIV? 

Yes. You and your partner may both want to be tested for HIV. The results will give you information that may affect your decision to have a baby. 

Where can I find more information on HIV and pregnancy? 

Call your doctor or local public health unit (or CLSC in the province of Quebec). 

 More information from the CPS:

• Information for pregnant women who have HIV
• Testing for HIV infection in pregnancy, a statement of the Canadian Paediatric Society.

Additional resources for pregnant women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)*

* This is not an exhaustive list of available resources.

Reviewed by the following CPS Committees:
Infectious Diseases and Immunization Committee

Last updated: March 2008