Tasila was one of many women coming into the antenatal clinic who were told they had HIV. She was put on HIV drugs – to not just control her infection – but to also prevent her passing HIV to her unborn baby. What her physician didn’t know at the time was that Tasila had resistance to one of the drugs that she was prescribed, and they would be ineffective in preventing transmission of HIV to her unborn son.
It was only by virtue of being part of a research study, was Tasila tested for resistance, and was switched to better, more effective drugs. Today her son, Felix, is free of HIV because his mother was given access to a test that is not available to most.
And that has to change.
