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The aim of this study was to analyse the day-to-day life of HIV-positive women during pregnancy and to assess the emotions deriving from their relations with the baby during the first few months of life. The study was carried out on a group of 16 HIV-positive women aged between 19 and 37 years old (mean age 27.3 years) who underwent a guided interview using a questionnaire. The questionnaire, which was mainly based on questions requiring a free answer, focused on four main areas: 1) the woman's reaction to HIV-positive status; 2) the influence of HIV-positive status on relations with her partner and surroundings; 3) the interaction between pregnancy and the HIV-positive status; 4) the relation between mother and children after birth and during the first few months of life. 56.25% of the women interviewed had become infected by intravenous drug injection, 25% through heterosexual relationships and 12.5% through blood transfusions. The cause was unspecified in 6.25%. The women had been aware of their HIV-positive status for between one and four years. Their reactions to HIV-positive status were predominantly denial, condemnation, and depression accompanied by a sense of death, anxiety and of being different. Relations between couples were influenced in a variety of ways by the new situation: 4 women reported a diminished frequency of sexual relations, one women reported reduced libido, 10 women did not notice changes in sexual relations and one woman did not reply.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)