Question

Can an HIV positive woman with a new infection (less than a year) and a CD4 count above 1200 infect a man?

14 December 2010. Related: All topics, HIV transmission, Pregnancy.

Answer

Answer: Charlotte Walker

Thank you for your question.

The short answer is yes, it is possible.

The long answer is that it is not as straight forward as you might think because transmission depends on many different factors such as your viral load.

If you have an undetectable viral load for more than 6 months on treatment then the likelihood of transmission is so small that some doctors support serodifferent couples can conceive a baby naturally without the other person becoming HIV positive. This link has information on the Swiss Statement to find out more about this.

In addition, if either person has any other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or cuts/sores etc. then transmission is more likely. Genetically some people are more likely to be infected than others. The type of sex e.g. oral, vaginal or anal can also affect the likelihood of transmission.

As you can see it is not always straight forward. There is always a chance that unprotected sex can transmit the virus. If you are wanting to have a baby naturally then you should speak to your doctor about the options available to you including starting treatment as a means to prevent your partner from becoming infected.

For more information about having a baby when one person is negative and the other positive please follow this link.