Q and A

Question

Is it safe to breastfeed?

I’m 7 months pregnant and I was born positive but I only started treatment in 2014. I want to breastfeed my baby but I’m not sure if its 100% safe. I’m scared what happened to me might happen to my baby as well.

Answer

Thanks for getting in touch.

The current guidelines from the World Health Organisation are that if a woman is on treatment and has an undetectable viral load that they can breastfeed their babies. However, not all countries follow these guidelines.

For more info, please see here:

http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/246260/1/9789241549707-eng.pdf?ua=1

Please talk to your doctor or health worker about breastfeeding. If formula milk is available and you have access to clean water, this has zero risk of HIV transmission.

2 comments

  1. Lisa Thorley

    Hi Chy,

    If a women is on medication and her viral load is undetectable the risks are minimal, however there is still a very small risk. If a woman’s viral load is detectable, the risk is greater.

  2. chy

    how safe is breastfeeding in HIV positive mothers?

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