Question
I am HIV positive and pregnant, what are the risks?
7 January 2018. Related: All topics, Pregnancy.
I am 32, married and have two children. I am HIV positive and so is my husband. I recently discovered I am pregnant but my husband is furious with me, and has advised me to go for an abortion. I am now debating on what to do as I do not want to go through a pregnancy without the support of my husband. What are the risks in pregnancy when HIV positive?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Congratulations on the pregnancy and I am sorry if this is causing problems with your husband.
Is he upset because he is worried about the child becoming positive? Or because he is worried about your health? Or something else?
Also, are you already taking HIV treatment (ART)? this is because ART is good for both you and your baby’s health.
Many HIV positive women all over the world give birth to healthy negative children using ART. There is no medical reason stopping you from having this baby if you decide you want to continue with the pregnancy.
Also, for your health, HIV positive women are not usually at any further risk of pregnancy-related complications than negative women. As far as the HIV is concerned, most women have a small drop in their CD4 count of about 50, but this goes up again once the baby is born. For more information on this please follow this link.
For general information about HIV, Pregnancy and Women’s Health please see this i-Base guide.
Good luck!
Note: this answer was updated in January 2018 from a question first posted in January 2011.
Hi Sne,
The current guidelines are that where possible everyone should be on ARVS. This includes people with a high CD4. Therefore, you could still be taking meds for your own HIV. Even if you viral load is quit low, its still detectable. A detectable viral load increases the risk of transmission.
You say that you stopped 4 weeks after birth. If you were breastfeeding, did you also stop feeding your baby?
hi 26 years was on treatment while was pregnant but I leave its after birth 4 weeks. is it safe my cd4 800 and viral load was 2000
Hi Nontobeko,
Are you on treatment? If yes, do you know if you have an undetectable viral load? If you do, then the risks of transmission are close to zero. Please see the results from the PARTNER study:
http://i-base.info/htb/30108
Therefore, there is no reason why you cannot have a child. Lots of positive people do, and with negative partners.
With regards to telling him, I can’t really tell you how to do this. Have you tried introducing the topic of HIV into conversation?
Hi im a 21 year old girl an im hiv positive my partner is nagative and he wants to have a child with me yet he doesnt know that im hiv positive i dont know what to do help me
Hi Zinhle,
Its up to you if you wish to tell your employers about your status. You don’t have to tell anyone unless you think they need to know. Or, if you wish to share this information. If you’re asking us about letting them know you are pregnant, then when the time is right, then yes.
Hi am 35 years old and hiv positive and I am on treatment. I think i’m pregnant. I’m scared I might lose my job am a domestic worker, should i tell my employees?
Hi Pamela, I am sorry you are having such a difficult time. Finding out you are HIV positive is never easy. Nearly all of us had similar reactions to you, so the way you are feeling now is very normal. Slowly, day by day, then week by week, it will get easier. I promise you this.
As well as getting easier, as you learn about your health and about how effective HIV treatment now is, you will slowly feel stronger and your thoughts will become more positive. Rather than look back to the difficult circumstances that led you catching HIV, you will slowly start to look forward and focus on you health and your new life. It is tough to do this on your own though.
If you don’t have a close friend or family member that you trust, then ask the clinic for details of the closest HIV support group. You can also ask if there is anyone at the clinic that you can talk to about how you feel. If none of these are possible, then write back to me and we can talk online.
You are still very young and you have just been unlucky. With access to good treatment, life expectancy for someone is a similar situation to you, if to be another 50 years or so. You still have a lot of life to lead and although this is tough now, you can get back to doing everything that you wanted to do before you got this news.
hi im 25 a women and just found out im hiv+. i did get counsiling but i cant stop thinking about it. i’m woried abt my future and finding the right partner and i cant tell my (mother?) as she will b very angry wth me. i hve no one to talk to. i went for a cd4 count last week and im waiting to get the results back this week. i feel lyk this thing is eating my flesh and i keep looking in e mirror to see if i already lose weight. if i hear abt someone being in an accident and died i wish it culd hve been me dying im so angry at myself for geting sick. i always checked bfo geting into a new relationship and i was not even a wild person bt this boyfrend of mine cheated on me and made me sick. i hate him wth passion. i dont knw wat to do i just feel lyk dying i can never kill myself as im scared of going to hell bt i wish smthing culd kill me. im always saying to myself wher are those pple who needs people body parts or killers why cant they come take me pliz help on how i shuld get over this and nt constantly thinking of it.
Hi Julia,
I’m sorry to hear that you’re finding it difficult to tell your partner.
I can’t tell you how to tell your partner. However, have you tried bringing up the topic in conversation. If you have what has their reaction been? If you do build up the courage to tell them, it might help to be ready with information. If you’re on treatment and have an undetectable viral load, you could try telling them about the PARTNER study. Please see here:
http://i-base.info/htb/30108
If you see this relationship going somewhere, it might just help to be honest. I know its a risk, but being HIV + is nothing to be ashamed about.
I am 21years girl who is positive but I scared to tell my partner about my status and he is negative so how am I going to live like that?