Dr. Bob, thanks for your advice and encouragement. After reading your story, it's just amazing to see how much will and courage you have to carry on. It is people like you that give folks like me hope to keep on going. My wife is seeing an ID specialist and at the time of delivery her viral load was 7000. There was no complications with the pregnacy. Labor was induced because the baby was overdue. After about five hours of no progress, the doctor decided to do the c-section. As in your case, another doctor may have become infected as a result of a needle prick. I am sure she would have been a lot more careful if my wife's HIV status had been known during delivery. Again thanks a million.

Confused

Hello Confused,

Your wife's viral load at time of delivery was relatively low. That's encouraging. That she had a c-section also decreases the risk of vertical transmission. That's also encouraging. We are all keeping all our fingers and toes crossed that both you and your child will remain HIV-negative. Make sure the ID specialists that your wife and child are seeing are also HIV/AIDS specialists. The two are not always synonymous.

Good luck. Write back anytime.

Dr. Bob