The Danger of Viral Exposure (DOVE) Service in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin was established in order to meet the specific needs of pregnant women who have or are at risk of blood-borne or sexually transmitted bacterial or viral infections during pregnancy. Exposure may also occur through illicit substance use. Figures from the DOVE Service for 2023 were published in the hospital’s annual report in 2024.1

Clinical activity

Figure 1 shows the number of women who booked into the DOVE Service for antenatal care each year during the period 2013–2023. It also shows the diagnosis of specific viral diseases for these women. During 2023, some 173 women booked into the DOVE Service for antenatal care. Among those attending the service, 100 were serology positive; of these:

• Nineteen women were positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
• Thirty-two women were positive for hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen.
• Twenty-five women were positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody.
• Twenty-four women had positive treponemal serology (syphilis).

Source: The Rotunda Hospital (2024)

Figure 1: DOVE Service bookings by year, 2013–2023

In addition to the figures presented above, a number of women attended the DOVE Service for diagnosis and treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes simplex virus, chlamydia, and gonorrhoea.

It should be noted that these numbers refer to patients who booked for care during 2023. Table 1 summarises the outcome of patients who actually delivered during 2023. Of these patients, 18 were HIV positive, 31 were HBV positive, 15 were HCV positive, and 25 had syphilis. During 2023, 126 women were referred to the Drug Liaison Midwife (DLM) service, including 25 women who had a history of opioid addiction and were engaged in an opioid substitution therapy (primarily methadone) programme. Eight were HCV positive and one was HIV positive. Sixty-four women who were linked with the DLM delivered their babies in the Rotunda Hospital in 2023.

Table 1: Deliveries to mothers attending the DOVE Service who were positive for HIV, HBV, HCV, or syphilis, or who were attending the DLM service, 2023

Source: The Rotunda Hospital (2023)

*One set of twins.

1    The Rotunda Hospital (2024) The Rotunda Hospital Dublin annual report 2023. Dublin: The Rotunda Hospital. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/42188/