Background: Use of antiretroviral drugs have been shown to reduce the risk of vertical transmission of HIV but scheduled caesarean section is still being preferred at some centers.
Objective: To observe the results of intervention with ARVs (antiretroviral drugs) during pregnancy and looking for the difference in the rate of vertical transmission of HIV with the mode of delivery.
Study Design: It was an observational study.
Place and Duration: The study was carried out in the HIV Treatment Center Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a tertiary care university hospital during the period January 2007 till October  2015.
Methodology: Sixty three pregnant HIV women registered in the Treatment Center during the period January  2007 till October 2015 were enrolled in the study. All these pregnant females were enrolled for PPTCT (prevention of parent to child transmission) and followed up regularly for obstetric care and management of HIV in accordance with standard clinical and laboratory protocols .Similarly the infants born to HIV mothers were prospectively observed and followed up with standard protocols to prove disease transmission or otherwise .
Results: Sixty three pregnant women were enrolled in the study. Most patients were moderately immuno competent. 26 patients were already on antiretroviral therapy before conception while others started with therapy during pregnancy. Average duration of antiretroviral therapy at term was four months. Most started antiretroviral therapy 14 to 20 weeks of gestational age. Except for one patient who was started on ARVs during pregnancy and was noncompliant to therapy all patients had undetectable HIV RNA levels at 36 weeks of gestation. Overall mother-to-child transmission was 0%. The mode of delivery as caesarean or vaginal delivery did not make any difference
Conclusion: Antiretroviral therapy proves to be very effective in preventing vertical transmission of HIV. All patients on antiretroviral treatment whether delivered via scheduled caesarean section or had normal vaginal delivery did not transmit HIV to their children. 
Keywords: Antiretroviral therapy, ARVs, HIV, Scheduled caesarean section, Vertical transmission.

Cite this article as: Qazi RA, Khan MW, Bashir N, Waqar M .Vertical Transmission of HIV in Pregnant Patients on ARVS in Relation to Mode of Delivery J. Soc. Obstet. Gynaecol. Pak. 2016; Vol 6(2):78-82.

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