Demystifying HIV Transmission Via Breastfeeding
Chioma Umeha When Kemi Adeola, a 30-year-old caterer, was diagnosed with HIV about six years ago, it was like giving her a ‘death sentence.’ The health condition had many “unproven’’ accompanying lifestyle rules and regulations, “dos and don’ts’’ that were supposedly aimed at making her live a longer and healthier life. These ‘groundless’ guidelines also extended to her role as an expectant mother as she must be circumspect in feeding her baby to avoid giving him the infection. Then, Kemi was pregnant of a baby boy but she lost him, even the next pregnancy which was twins. The three babies were HIV positive following her refusal to take the antiretroviral drugs. At a point, she ran away from home for three days due to fear. She thought she was going to die whether she took the drugs or not. When she complied with taking her drugs, her fourth baby was diagnosed negative. However, she could not breastfeed her baby due to fear. She was afraid that the baby