Midwife Jay MacGillivray and Dr. Mark Yudin have joined to create a program that makes it possible and much more comfortable for woman with HIV/AIDS to give birth. This program, the Positive Pregnancy Program, began in 2005 when a nurse was afraid to console a mother-to-be when she began to cry because she feared infection of the disease. MacGillivray was disgusted with the lack of knowledge on the subject of the disease and sought the backing of her friend, Dr. Yudin. Yudin confirmed that the disease cannot spread through tears.
In Canada, between 150 to 175 babies are born each year to HIV-positive mothers. The alternative to a routine hospital delivery is a unsafe, unattended home delivery that many women turn to when they fear the care or lack of care given to HIV-positive mothers. This holistic approach to a touchy subject makes the entire process of delivery more comfortable for all involved. Mothers are no longer afraid or ashamed to seek care from a hospital while nurses and doctors are informed and experienced in matters regarding infectious disease (HIV). Dr. Yudin said, “These are people that deserve to have a baby, just like anyone else”. It is important that all doctors and health professionals share this view in order for patients to feel comfortable and willingly seek hospital services especially when it comes to delivery of a baby.
This article has world-importance due to the fact that MacGillivray and Yudin hope to use this first program as a template to start others around the world, beginning in places like Cameroon, Botswana, Scotland, Paris, and England. The care of mothers is an extremely important aspect of healthcare, especially when the mother has already been through so much trauma with the disease. HIV positive mothers around the world could benefit greatly from this program.
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hvf9GUC7nGdLfwxPbbKNETJIORYQ
1 comment:
I think this program will give women who lived in fear of birthing a child the chance to actually have a child of their own without a large risk of infecting the child. They have aids/hiv, but they are still human. They still need the assistance when giving birth, "normal people" need lots of help while giving birth. I think Midwife Jay and her friend is setting a great example, and is allowing more women the opportunity to have children, even if they might have this disease, it shouldn't stop them. I think it is a great idea.
Post a Comment