This descriptive study with a qualitative approach was motivated by the high number of HIV positive children caused by perinatal transmission. The aim of this study was to identify HIV-infected pregnant women's expectations and actions concerning the pregnancy and the fetus. The sample consisted of 14 HIV-infected, asymptomatic pregnant women, in their third month, who were aware of their condition before getting pregnant. An interview was carried out from 2001 to 2002 in order to collect data. The Collective Subject Discourse Method was adopted for data analysis. It was observed that the pregnant women had similar expectations concerning motherhood. They got used to pregnancy and believed their baby would be HIV negative and that treatment would be effective. There is a need to implement counseling about women's health with a focus on perinatal HIV/aids transmission.
HIV; women's health; pregnancy; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome