Question
I am a HIV positive man – can I ever have a child?
17 February 2011. Related: All topics, Pregnancy.
Might be a stupid question, but just asking. I am a HIV positive male. Will I ever be able to become father to a healthy child? Will I be able to have a baby using natural conception? Is my sperm defective? :-(
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Being HIV positive should not stop you having children. It is possible to have HIV negative children and to conceive naturally without infecting the mother of this child, if she is also negative. You would have to be stable on HIV treatment with an undetectable viral load. Both partners should be without STIs and unprotected sex should happen when the woman is ovulating. This will increase the chances of the woman getting pregnant without becoming positive herself.
Many discordant couples (where one person is positive and the other negative) are managing to conceive naturally and have negative children whilst not infecting each other. For more information on how to do this please follow this link
You may also find it useful to read the Swiss Statement . This describes the transmission risk for someone on stable HIV treatment as “negligible” and “similar to risks of daily life”. It is impossible to put a percentage risk on this.
When you decide you are ready for a child you should contact your doctor and speak to them about it.
Hi Samuel,
Unfortunately we don’t work in this area. But please see this Q&A for a website to meet other HIV positive people.
How’s your HIV treatment going?
I am a Zambian man aged 50. I am HIV and on ART and would like to have child. Link me up with a willing woman.
Hi Kelly,
The simple answer is Yes. That’s because Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).
U=U means that someone with an undetectable HIV viral load on HIV treatment (ART) cannot transmit HIV, even without using condoms. So the risk of transmission is zero.
For more info please see this link to U=U.
Hi there
Have a question for you.
Can a partner with hiv who is on a stable hiv treatment and the viral load is undetectable always have an unprotected sex with an HIV negative partner?
Hi Suman.
If you’re undectable then there isn’t any risk. Please see here: http://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
I also want to b father. Started art over months. And right now not detachable. What’s my chance of transmitting virus to my spouse???
Thanks so much I have learned a lot
Hi Phelady,
Please see Q6 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
am hiv positive and my husband is hiv positive…can we have a baby?
Hi Phillip,
Support groups can be a good place to meet others who are living with HIV. Or you could try online dating sites. Have you tried these things?