HIV tests help protect unborn babies

A hundred and fifty eight babies have been born to women infected with the HIV virus in the Czech Republic, according to figures released by the National Laboratory for HIV and AIDS. Only four of the babies were born with HIV. Seven of the pregnant women had no idea they were HIV positive. All pregnant women in the Czech Republic undergo compulsory testing for HIV in order to better protect the child. The birth is then always conducted by Caesarean section and mothers do not breastfeed. Undetected the risk of transmitting the virus is 20 percent, with precautions it can be lowered to 2 percent. Experts say that people in high risk groups often underestimate the risk of having contracted the virus and only find out about it when being tested for other diseases or in the early stages of pregnancy.