Rubella and HIV

Rubella, HIV and other infectious diseases, such as syphilis or hepatitis B, can be transferred from the mother to the baby during pregnancy or at delivery. All pregnant women are offered, and recommended, a routine screening test for these infections early in pregnancy.

Rubella

Rubella (German measles) can seriously harm your baby if you catch it during the first four months of pregnancy.

Most children are immunised against rubella but if you think you are pregnant and have rubella, or have been in contact with someone who has German measles, tell your doctor at once.

HIV

If you know you are HIV positive, you can take action to minimise the risk of passing HIV to your baby.

This includes:

taking anti-retroviral drugs after the first three to four months of pregnancy
taking anti-retroviral drugs during labour and delivery
in some cases having a caesarean section
giving the baby a short course of anti-retroviral medicine after birth
not breastfeeding

With all interventions, the risk of a mother infecting her baby can be reduced to less than two per cent. With no actions, the risk can be between 25 and 40 per cent.

All pregnant women in Northern Ireland are offered and recommended a screening test for HIV in pregnancy.

If you think you have HIV

If you think you may have HIV, the best step is to get tested.

HIV tests are available free of charge on a confidential basis from genitourinary medicine (GUM) or sexual health clinics.

Find out what's available in your Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust area:

How to use your health services

There are many organisations offering advice and help in this situation.

Support ranges from offering education, training and volunteering opportunities to people living with HIV, to advice, support and information on employment and personal development.

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit. Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme, email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about 60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly. We don't have access to information about you.

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Rubella and HIV

Rubella

If you think you have HIV

More useful links

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What to do next

Carer's Allowance

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Disability Living Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Personal Independence Payment

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Rubella and HIV

Rubella

If you think you have HIV

More useful links

Help improve this page - send your feedback

Messages

What to do next

Carer's Allowance

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Disability Living Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Personal Independence Payment