Can I still have children?
Yes: Yet, you should still know that there are
certain precautions to be taken during
pregnancy to prevent the transmission of HIV to
your baby. With proper monitoring of the
pregnancy and an anti-HIV treatment during
the pregnancy you are placing the chances in
your favour. Before undertaking this commitment, please consult your doctor.
Cocaine is considered
to have very few interactions
with anti-HIV medication;
however, it can render immune
cells more vulnerable to HIV –
which may foster a
more rapid progression
of the infection.
Yes, you can receive treatment for HIV even if
you consume illegal drugs. However, you
should consult your doctor so that he/she can
inform you of the potentially harmful interactions
between the treatments that you are undergoing and the drugs that you are using.
Even if there are no interactions with your
treatment, you should know that, generally
speaking, when our judgement is affected by
drugs, we are more susceptible to take risks
(sexual or others) that we would not normally
take.
You can be screened for HIV at your health
centre, a CLSC, a hospital or in an anonymous
screening centre. To find out where the closest
available anonymous screening centre is
located, contact your CLSC.
I have other questions – who
can I contact?
What about alcohol?
I use drugs – can I still be
treated?
Where do I go for screening?
You can be treated for HIV even if you consume
alcohol. However, alcohol can cause damage
to the liver and the pancreas. Excessive
consumption can lead to a cirrhosis or a
cancer of the liver or pancreas. Drinking too
much alcohol can also have an impact on the
antiretroviral action in your body, which could
compromise the efficiency of your anti-HIV
treatment.
Canadian Aids Treatment Information
Exchange (CATIE) www.catie.ca
Clinique du VIH de Sainte-Justine
www.hsj.qc.ca
www.soinsdenosenfants.cps.ca
Canadian Aboriginal Aids Network
www.caan.ca
Canadian Women’s Health Network.
www.cwhn.ca
The best advice is to have a discussion with your
doctor in regards to your consumption habits –
he will be able to help you to find solutions so as
to not interfere with your antiretroviral treatment.
After a sexual aggression (rape)
You must go to the hospital as soon as possible
after a rape in order to receive the necessary
help. They will be able to provide you with a
preventive treatment for HIV along with antiretrovirals that must be taken for 4 weeks starting
within 72 hours of the rape.
FIRST NATIONS OF QUEBEC AND LABRADOR
HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES COMMISSION
250, Place Chef Michel Laveau
Wendake, Quebec G0A 4V0
Phone : 418.842.1540
cssspnql.com
Funding provided by
Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux (MSSS).
What
women
should
know
How is this avoided?
What is HIV/Aids?
The acronym “HIV” means “Human
Immunodeficiency Virus”. The acronym “Aids” means “Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome”.
HIV is a virus that attacks the human body’s
immune system. With time, the system gets
weaker, and the person who has contracted HIV
can suffer from many diseases. After a certain
amount of time, the immune system is no longer
able to defend the body against infections,
diseases or cancers which can be fatal. Aids is
an advanced state of HIV.
- Always use a condom or
dental dam when practicing
sexual relations.
- Never share injection materials.
- Always verify the practices of the tattoo artist or
piercer (use of new materials, sterilisation of the
equipment).
How is it transmitted?
HIV is transmitted by:
•
•
•
•
•
blood,
sperm,
pre-ejaculatory fluid,
vaginal secretions,
breast milk.
Aboriginal women
represent 48.1% of all
cases of HIV among
Aboriginal populations
in Canada.
64.4% of HIV cases
among Aboriginal
women in Canada
are caused by
sharing injection
materials.
Therefore, you can contract or transmit HIV if:
1) You have had sexual relations without a condom or *dental dam
with a HIV positive person.
2) You share injection materials or straws for snorting drugs with a
person who is HIV positive.
3) You get a homemade tattoo or piercing.
4) You are HIV positive and you breastfeed your baby.
* A dental damn is a piece of latex that is placed upon the genitals or anus in order
to practice oral sex.
Can it be treated?
Aids is an incurable disease
(meaning that it cannot be
healed). However, treatments are available to slow
down the evolution of the
disease, help live a much
longer life and have a
better quality of life. These
treatments, called Tritherapy, act differently for different people, which is why it
is important to follow the
doctor’s recommendations
and discuss with him/her the
various side effects in order
to find the best possible
treatment for you.
And what if I don’t
want treatment?
Treatment is not obligatory – it is a
personal choice. Sometimes it is not
necessary, but only a doctor can
provide you with advice on the
benefits of being treated for you.
Afterwards, it is your decision to
make.
Women are more vulnerable to HIV infection because the
woman’s sexual organs (the membranes of the vulva and
vagina) have a larger surface than the male sexual organs,
and there is a possibility for tiny lesions to be produced
during penetration.
Women are more vulnerable to HIV infection because
the virus is more concentrated in sperm than in
vaginal secretions.
However, you should know that if you
are pregnant, the treatment will
considerably lower your chances of
transmitting HIV to your baby during
pregnancy and/or labour.
Being pregnant will
not accelerate the
rate of progression
of HIV in your
body.
Without treatment,
the risk of transmitting HIV to your
baby is 1 in 4.
With treatment,
the risk becomes
1 in 100.
I am using
traditional
medicine – is
this good for
me?
If you are being treated,
traditional medicine can
be useful to reduce the
side effects of the medication. However, you
should consult your doctor before taking any
product whatsoever in
order to avoid any harmful interactions.
I am pregnant,
what must I do?
It is important to undergo screening for HIV early
during your pregnancy. If you test positive for HIV,
you may then decide to receive treatment that will
diminish the possibilities of transmitting HIV to your
baby during pregnancy and labour. The earlier the
treatment starts (1st trimester), the greater the
chances for success.
A female condom is a
cylindrical polyurethane
tube that looks a bit like an
inside-out plastic bag that
is inserted into the vagina
before sexual relations. The
condom holds the sperm,
thereby preventing it from
entering the vagina.