Question
I am an HIV positive man, can I have a baby?
4 January 2016. Related: All topics, Pregnancy.
I am very much interested to know if someone with a CD4 count of above 500 and an undetectable viral load can make a woman pregnant without infecting her with the virus?
Or does it mean once you have HIV your chance of having your own child is a dead end?
Or is there any other way to have your own child without infecting either the woman or the child?
Answer
Being HIV positive should not stop you having a baby. Many sero-different couples (where one partner is positive and the other is negative), have had healthy HIV negative babies.
Your second question was whether it is possible to have an HIV negative baby without passing HIV onto your your girlfriend or baby. The answer is yes. However, this will depend on a number of factors.
Firstly, you would have to on antiretroviral treatment (ART) with an undetectable viral load. Are you taking treatment?
Secondly, both of you should be checked for STIs (Sexually Transmitted infections). This is good practice whenever two people are planning a pregnancy. STIs can sometimes increase the risk of passing on HIV to your negative partner.
Thirdly, the chance of conceiving is highest when your girlfriend is ovulating. Ovulation takes place in the middle of the woman’s monthly cycle. This is about 14 days before her period.
This link the the pregancny guide to is about how sero-different couples can conceive naturally. The guide also lists other conception options.
You may also find it useful to read the Swiss Statement. This describes the transmission risk for someone who is on stable HIV treatment as ‘negligible’ and ‘similar to risks of daily life’. It is difficult to put a percentage risk on this.
When you and your girlfriend decide you are ready to have a baby, you should speak to your doctor who will be to advise and assist you accordingly.
Good luck with your plans.
This answer was updated in January 2016 from a question posted on 26 March 2012.
Hi Jeffy, thanks – great to hear from you and congratulations on the new baby. Also that your partner is really careful with meds and you have a good relationship where you care for each other.
HIV meds are really effective, including at protecting the baby.
You are doing everything right and best wishes to you and your family.
Please, my partner is positive and she has always taking her drugs(treatment) before she got pregnant and she just put to birth, I want to know if the baby is negative or not. I love them so much
Hi Chris and many thanks for your question.
Having sex always has a risk. There are things you can do to lower that risk.
Oral sex is a low risk activity. Using condoms is always a good thing to lower risk too.
So from what you describe I understand that your risk is very low, especially for HIV.
Because you ask about all STIs the best thing you can do is to test often (every 3 months) and get treatment if you are diagnosed with something.
I am saying this because right now we only have prevention for HIV (PrEP). Not for the other STIs.
I am including two links here: one for PrEP and one for sexual risk so you can get more information and protect yourself better
https://i-base.info/pep-and-prep/
https://i-base.info/guides/testing
Hi, I had sex with a woman whom I met at a bar. I am afraid if I might catch any STD if she has one.
Hi Joe, you are not likely to be HIV postive but you are causing yourself stress. Please contact a clinic to test and see Q1 at this link:
https://i-base.info/qa/23016
Hi
I slept with someone with no condom after two weeks she tests positive. And I’m experiencing the symptoms of being HIV positive, what can I do cause I need to start my treatment since it’s still two weeks after we slept together so my tests will come negative but I’m in pain?
Hi Evans, thanks for keeping us up to date.
You assist me so much i want to make a baby this coming month, So i will inform you my stages up to date
Hi Evans, you can have a baby. Are you on treatment? and if so do you know your viral load?
When someone is HIV positive and on treatment with a viral load below 200/undetectable it is impossible to pass on HIV. This remains true even without a condom. The viral load is suppressed so low in the body that it cannot be passed on via sex.
This is called U=U: https://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
U=U would protect your wife from transmission. Because your wife would not be at risk, there would be no risk of passing on HIV to baby.