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 Rudra,
It’s a good idea to talk to the doctor about what tests were done. If you tested HIV positive you can ask for another test to confirm it.
HIV tests look for antibodies that are produced in reaction to HIV. So even when HIV treatment reduces HIV to undetectable levels, we still test antibody positive.
I was suffering from herpes zoster and my doctor prescribed me for S-HIV test and in that i was diagnosed +ve so now i hav to live my remaining life with hiv or is possible that due to herpes i was detected and in coming days i will become normal as herpes is cured
Hi Jimmy,
Please see question 6 at this link.
Short answer: absolutely yes, but you need to use HIV treatment (ART).
Here’s the guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health.
Am HIV positive on medication and my girl friend is not, am 50 years. How can we have a negative baby without affecting my girl friend. We have never had live sex.
Hi Emilie,
Your status won’t be an issue, however the chances of a woman getting pregnant when they are 46 are very low.
Hi there
My name is Emilie and I am on treatment as from 2004 and now am undetectable, I am 46 of age i like to know if it’s safe for me to have a child adain
Hi Malakia,
Being HIV positive should not stop you having a baby. Please talk to your doctor about it.
If I’m hiv but want to have kids doctor can help me to have kid if I’m not married or ?
Hi Mandla,
Please see Q’s 6, 9 and 14 here: https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions But in short, yes you can have a family.
Hi my Name is Mandla,I have been living with HIV for passed 10 years and also taking treatement, My wife is HIV negative so we need to have a baby, how possible to have a negative child with no HIV and not to affect my wife HIV.