Protecting the Next Generation

At a glance

Nontokozo learned that she was living with HIV while pregnant at 24 years old. As a result of her adherence to HIV medications, Nontokozo is now healthy, and her baby girl was born and remains HIV-free.

Nontokozo's story

A mother stands in a field smiling and holding her baby girl.
Nontokozo is healthy and her baby was born HIV-free.
SOURCE:

Thom Pierce 2018

Nontokozo remembers when, at 24, and just four months pregnant with her first child, she learned she was HIV-positive. “I was so afraid,” she recalls. “Terrified that I would get sick and that my baby would not survive.” At Taylors Halt Clinic in the Vulindlela sub-district of Kwazulu-Natal where she lives, the staff there told her there was a way she could stay healthy and also protect her unborn child from infection. They counseled her to immediately start and stay on HIV antiretroviral medicine. In May 2018, Nontokozo—who is healthy—gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Ziyanda. She is HIV-free.

I took my treatment. I ate healthy. I followed all the rules. When she was born, they told me she was HIV-negative!
-Nontokozo, a mother living with HIV who gave birth to a healthy baby

Resources

HIV and TB Overview: South Africa
A summary of CDC's HIV and TB programs, services, and partnerships in South Africa.
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Content Source:
Global Health Center