Question
Should I stop breastfeeding when I have a viral load of 50?
16 May 2023. Related: All topics, Children, HIV transmission.
Hi, my viral load is 50 and l am breastfeeding. l need to know if l should stop because l don’t know if my baby is at risk?
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Congratulations on having a baby.
No you do not need to stop.
It is recommended to breast feed. You have an excellent viral load. A viral load of 50 means your treatment is working and that HIV is suppressed. This means the transmission risk is very small.
Did baby have their won treatment when they born? This will further reduce the risk of transmission.
It is recommended to breastfeed with a suppressed viral load is because there is more benefits to being breastfed than the very small risk of HIV transmission.
Josh.