Q and A

Question

My viral load is undetectable, can I have a child.

hi, my bestie is hiv positive and her viral load is below 30 and CD4 is 476. Is it possible for her to conceive cause she wants to, she is on combination ART.

Answer

Thanks for getting in touch.

Yes your friend can have a baby, her being positive shouldn’t be an issue. For more info, please see here:

https://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy

6 comments

  1. Roy Trevelion

    Hi Mark, You can test for HIV RNA in sperm. This test can be important for you and for the person receiving your donation. There can be different levels of HIV in semen and blood – even when the blood test result is undetectable. But you can check with your partner and your clinic about how this screening might work.

  2. Mark

    I’m hiv undetectable male and planning to donate sperm. Will my sperm still be detected for hiv in the screening process?

  3. Roy Trevelion

    Hi Xolelwa,
    The good news is that if you are HIV negative your baby will be too. But it’s important for your partner to take HIV treatment (ART) to keep his viral load undetectable. That can reduce your risk of HIV to just about zero. Here’s the guide to HIV Pregnancy and women’s health.

  4. Xolelwa

    Hi,Ive just found out my partner is HIV positive and Im not,Im in my second trimester and worried about my baby.Is he gonna be born negative or positive?

  5. Lisa Thorley

    Hi Emmanuel,

    Its not possible to say if a child will be born positive. This is why its important that they are tested once they are born. The risk of transmission is drastically reduced if a mother is on ARVs and their viral load is undetectable. There’s more about this here:

    http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy

    Breastfeeding guidelines vary from country to country. Where is it that you live?

    With regards to the septrim, this is often given to people with a CD4 of less than 350. If your’s is 484, then in theory you no longer need to take it. However, this is something that you’ll need to talk to your doctor about.

  6. Emmanuel

    If a pregnant woman finds out she is pregnant in her first trimester, can she transmit to her child. Also is it adversible for her to Breastfeed her baby and the baby won’t get the virus. Thirdly, with a CD4 count of 484, is it safe to stop taking septrim. Thanks

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