Pre-Natal LabCheQ (with HIV Screening)

Prenatal care is the most significant health and wellness activity for the mother and her baby. Among many components of prenatal care, HIV screening stands paramount among these interventions. An alarming infection of HIV poses a very long list of severe consequences with mother-to-baby transmission. Fortunately, one can prevent such risks with early HIV testing and treatment to make the right health decisions.

Importance of HIV Testing for Prenatal Care

• Early Detection: If the HIV-positive mother undergoes a test at the time of the first prenatal visit, then the health care teams can detect her HIV status immediately.
• Proper Treatment: Treatment of an HIV-positive pregnant woman, especially with the usage of the FDA-approved HIV medicine Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), will reduce the risk of vertical transmission to less than 1%.
• Preventive Measures: Once the ART prescription is successful, healthcare providers recommend that the mother have a Cesarean delivery, which is a significant solution to minimize the transfer risk at this stage.

 

How to Access HIV Screening Tests

Getting HIV screening tests is easy. Below are some tips to bring you a testing site:

• Search Online: You can directly visit our Pre-Natal LabCheQ and book your consultation.
• Consult Your Care Physician: Ask your obstetrician for the nearest place to test. They know the best clinics to visit.
• Check Community Health Centers: Many community health centers offer low-cost or even free HIV testing and may have other valuable resources and services for pregnant women.

 

What You Can Avail from Our Pre-Natal LabCheQ?

• HIV Screening: A test to detect the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus in the blood during pregnancy.
• Complete Blood Count: The CBC serves to monitor the condition of the mother from anemia, infections, or any blood disorders that might affect the pregnancy.
• Urinalysis: This is a test to screen the urinary tract infection that is prevalent during the pregnancy phase.
• Fasting Blood Sugar: This is a blood testing to measure glucose after fasting at least 8 hours and can be a basis in diagnosing cases of diabetes.
• Blood Typing (ABO-RH): A test that determines an individual’s A, B, AB, O blood type and the Rh factor; positive or negative; it is essential to decide blood transfusions as well as in women during pregnancy.
• HBsAg Screening: A blood test designed to identify the presence of HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen).
• RPR Qualitative: It is a non-treponemal screening test which detects the antibodies it provokes for syphilis.

 

Appointment Preparation

Preparation pays off. These are a few things to consider for your Pre-Natal LabCheQ:

1. Collect Your Medical History: When you visit the clinic, take all necessary documents and secure them in an envelope, especially concerning pregnancies, medications, or health conditions.
2. Get Ready to Get Additional Tests: The obstetrician may ask your healthcare provider to conduct other tests, such as:

• Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A): It is to ensure the fetal development is in good condition and away from potential complications during pregnancy.
• Creatinine test: It is a test of kidney functions; it is essential during pregnancy because healthy kidneys help support the mother’s general well-being, and blood flow to the kidneys is enhanced during pregnancy. It raises a person’s GFR and the rate of creatinine excretion.
• Potassium test: It measures the potassium level in the blood, which is necessary to provide decent muscle and heart function and to monitor the electrolyte balance.

 

FAQs

Is HIV testing part of prenatal care?

Yes, a routine part of prenatal care is HIV testing, because:

• Most health providers will recommend this during the first trimester and sometimes late in pregnancy.
• Provides timely treatment after early detection; this will lessen the likelihood of the infection transmission to the baby during pregnancy.

 

 

What does a prenatal panel with HIV mean?

A prenatal panel consists of many tests for the pregnant woman to evaluate her health status. The panel usually forms a package of tests that always include HIV tests, syphilis, hepatitis B, and many other types of infections. The interpretation of the results then determines healthcare measures during pregnancy.

 

Prioritize Prenatal Health at Medi Linx Laboratory Inc.

Testing for HIV as well as other health markers is all to your advantage, both for the mother and the baby. With Medi Linx Laboratory Inc., you are sure of all the tests you would need. It’s time to visit and schedule an appointment in our Virtual Lab or directly proceed in our Laboratory in Quezon City and set a healthy future for you and your baby!