The new guidelines ensures that all HIV positive pregnant women and patients on TB treatment with a CD4 count of 350 or less as well as HIV positive infants (from birth to one year irrespective of their CD4 count) will now receive ARVs at all government clinics and hospitals that offer the service.
In addition, HIV positive women who are not eligible for ARVs (CD4 count above 350) will now receive Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) at 14 weeks of pregnancy instead of 28 weeks as it was previously done. This will assist in ensuring that babies are born uninfected with HIV. Expectant mothers are urged to present themselves at clinics as soon as they suspect that they are pregnant so they can be tested and put on necessary treatment timeously.
Also in this new treatment plan, women who are not eligible for ARVs (CD4 count above 350) will also receive among other things, an annual pap smear. The victims of rape will continue to receive Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and a case number will not be a necessity.
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