Veronica
Veronica was diagnosed in 2002. She formula fed her baby to avoid any risk of HIV transmission. Through most of her recent pregnancy she was undetectable but occasionally had a detectable viral load, so she was advised to formula feed. She receives free formula milk from her HIV charity, which has been helpful to ease financial concerns.
Veronica is Black African and lives in Scotland. She is married and has four children aged 15 (stepchild), 8, 1 year old and 3 months.
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Veronica was diagnosed with HIV during her first pregnancy in 2013 and was living in West Africa at the time. When she learned her diagnosis, she felt “bad and disappointed”. None of her children are living with HIV.
Veronica has been married for three years. Her husband is the father of her two youngest children and is aware of her HIV status. When Veronica was seven months pregnant with her youngest child, she had a detectable viral load so medical staff advised her to formula feed to remove risk of HIV transmission (even though she was undetectable at childbirth). Veronica and her husband accepted this advice as they wanted to remove all risk of HIV transmission. Her clinic referred her to a local HIV charity that gave her free formula milk. Veronica said that accessing the free formula has been helpful as only her husband is working and her immigration status means she has no recourse to public funds. She was also given formula milk on the maternity ward.
Veronica has had no issues with formula feeding, and found the process simple. Some people have asked her why she formula feeds her baby. She told them that her baby does not like breastmilk, but she finds those questions painful to deal with.
Veronica’s husband has advised her not to attend support groups and to only go to the clinic for medication and formula milk, so that other people do not find out her HIV status.
