Question

Can I have a negative baby?

2 August 2021. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, HIV transmission, Pregnancy, Sero different couples.

I am an HIV positive man and I want to get married to a negative partner.

Is there any danger in getting married to her and having negative children and not transmitting HIV without using condoms?

How do I know if my viral load has become undetectable?

I tested positive since 2017 and my CD4 rose on treatment from 350 then to 984 in 2021.

Answer

Answer: Muirgen Stack

Hi,

Thanks, we get asked this question so many times.

Sometimes it is one of the first things someone worries about when they find out they are HIV positive.

The answer is good news. Every year hundreds of thousands of couples in the same situation have HIV negative babies.

The answer is for the HIV positive partner to be on effective HIV treatment (ART). So long as viral load is undetectable you can conceive naturally (without a condom). But speak to your doctor for information and support.

If the women is HIV positive, then using ART throughout the pregnancy and having an undetectable viral load at delivery/birth also protects the baby.

It is easy and safe to conceive naturally and the mother give birth to negative baby. See this pregnancy guide for more information.

Your CD4 count is doing really well so your ART is working. You need to ask your doctor for a viral load test to confirm you are undetectable.

Good luck with your plans to have a family.

This question was updated in August 2021 from a question first posted in October 2016.