Q and A

Question

Is my risk of HIV higher if it is my first time having sex?

My partner is HIV positive.To be safe we have avoided any penetration so far. I want to concieve now, but I need to be sure that our child would be safe from the virus.

I’ve read the suggestions on this site, however, I am not sure wheather they apply to me. I will surely tear and bleed as it will be my first time and that puts me at a greater risk of getting infected.

If I get infected while concieving, would the virus definety be transmitted to the foetus? Or do we have a chance of having a healthy child?

Please answer.

Answer

Thank you for your question.

If your partner is positive and not on treatment then it is very important that you use a condom and lubricant the first few times you have sex before you try to conceive. You are right that if it is your first time having sex then you are at more risk of tearing and bleeding.

Is your partner on treatment? What is his viral load? How long has he been on treatment? It is possible for you to conceive naturally and for you and your child to remain negative. However, you have to speak to your doctor about this and make sure you only have unprotected sex when you are at your most fertile and when your partner has had an undetectable viral load for over 6 months. If you use lubricant this will help to prevent any tearing and you would both need to make sure you have no other sexually transmitted infections.

If you get infected when conceiving then the baby is at higher risk because when someone is first infected the amount of virus in their blood increases very rapidly and it would mean you are more infectious. You would need to test for HIV regularly during the pregnancy. If you find that you do get a positive test result during your pregnancy then you will need to start treatment straight away to prevent your baby becoming infected.

For more information on HIV, women’s health and pregnancy please follow this link to our guidebook.

13 comments

  1. Robin Jakob

    The only way that HIV is transmitted is if someone has it. If you are both negative there is no risk.

    You can find more information about how HIV is transmitted here:
    http://i-base.info/guides/testing/risks-for-transmission

  2. sanjay

    Is there any chance of AIDS during first sex.
    First sex means both me and my partner having sex first time.

  3. Simon Collins

    The information about testing that will answer your questions is on this FAQ page on transission and testing.

  4. james

    I took the PCR DNA test 45 days after the exposure and it came back negative. Do i have HIV or do i need to take another test?

  5. Simon Collins

    The risk from one exposure is low even if your partner was HIV-positive, and it sounds like this may not have been the case.

    The only way to know your HIV status is to have an HIV test.

  6. james

    i had sex with hiv positive woman and the condom burst, i didnt know when and i would like to know my risk. is it 100% i will get it too.

  7. Charlotte Walker

    Please follow this link to find out how to prevent HIV.

  8. Charlotte Walker

    Your wife is not ‘safe’ from infection. She has been very lucky but she can still get HIV. To prevent her becoming infected you should use a condom every time you have sexual intercourse. For more information about how to prevent infection please follow this link.

  9. rajaramesh

    i need fully information and precautions for hive

  10. Rajakumar

    I have participated in sex with my wife before later I came to know I was HIV +ve. Then I went to the doctor and tested my wife. She was found negative around February 2011. Is it any possible to infect my wife with HIV or are there any precautions we can take. Please note that she already tested in October 2010and was -ve. So is she safe or not?