Question
I’m HIV positive. I’ve just found out i’m pregnant.
2 January 2022. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, HIV transmission, Newly diagnosed, Pregnancy, Starting treatment.
I just found out that I am pregnant and my cd4 count is 190 and my viral load is 50000 copies. I started treatment, is there hope that my child will be HIV negative? are there any other supplements that I may use to decrease my viral load?
Answer
Hi, how you doing?
Congratulations on your pregnancy. You can definitely have hope that your baby will be HIV negative. Even finding out while your viral load is high, starting medication is going to drastically reduce the risk of your baby having HIV.
Starting medication is what is best for keeping you healthy and keeping your baby HIV negative. After birth, your baby will be given some medication to further reduce the risk. For how long depends on risk factors that your doctor will be able to discuss with you. It takes into account how long you’ve been on medication and viral load.
Given how well people often respond to medication, it is much rarer to have an HIV positive baby than negative. No other supplement/medication has been proven to reduce viral load. ARVs are the only known way of reducing viral load and increasing CD4 count.
If you have another question please ask,
Josh.
Hi Thabsio, how is your girlfriend handling this? If it was only a faint line have they suggested doing a second test to confirm? False positives are very rare – caused by other antibodies as you have mentioned. However, as your history suggests you have not been in a position to contract HIV a second test would be suitable. Are you able to attend a clinic/hospital to be tested? If not, at home tests are suitable but require 90 days post exposure – this may be why the line was faint.
Good day,
My girlfriend is 4 months pregnant and she has been consulting with the nurse at a local clinic on monthly basis, that includes testing for hiv and other complications. She has been negative until they tested her in February. We are both surprised because I have been doing my tests as well from time to time and we don’t even cheat on one another. Her hiv test had a very faint line and the nurse concluded that she is positive and gave her Odimune. To this day we are devastated. Should we run home tests including lab tests? Because I have heard of false positive results that’s caused by the test detecting other antibodies.