Prevention of perinatal HIV infection

In the 20 years since the first description of the clinical manifestations of HIV infection, more than 32 million people have been infected worldwide. In untreated HIV-infected pregnant women, the risk of maternal-child transmission varies from 16 to 40%. In developed countries, utilizing combinations of available medications and elective cesarean sections, it is possible to lower the transmission rates to less than 2 to 4%. Effective programs use universal screening of pregnant women, perinatal antiretroviral therapy, and, at times, delivery via elective cesarean section. In resource-poor areas, major barriers remain to the control of maternal-child transmission.