Question
Should we stop having unprotected sex?
6 December 2023. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Children, HIV transmission, Pregnancy.
My partner and I are HIV positive we have been on ART for 5 years now and our load is undetectable, we have been having unprotected sex ever since and my partner is now pregnant. Is it wise to carry on with unprotected sex and will this not affect the baby? Do we now have to have protected sex in order to bring a HIV negative child to this world?
Answer
Hi, how are you both doing?
Congratulations on your partners pregnancy.
No you do not need to stop having unprotected sex.
You are both on treatment and both have an undetectable viral load. Continuing to have unprotected sex (not using a condom) is not going to be of any risk to baby.
Being undetectable means the risk to baby is already as low as it can be. Baby will also be given their own treatment for a short while after birth to reduce the risk even further.
Many HIV positive women all over the world go on to to have healthy, HIV negative children.
You can continue having unprotected sex.
Josh.
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