This publication is currently UNDER REVIEW (May 2026). Please access Guidelines on the management of HIV in pregnancy and the postpartum period 2025 from British HIV Association website while we update PHA's guidelines.

All pregnant women in Northern Ireland should be offered and recommended a screening test for HIV at their booking visit or at the earliest available opportunity if presenting later in pregnancy. Antenatal screening for HIV plays a very important role in identifying HIV positive pregnant women. Early identification of HIV allows for appropriate management and treatment of the mother, which can significantly reduce the risk of mother to child transmission  of HIV from 15-45% to less than 5%.