Question

My girlfriend has herpes. Can we have a baby naturally?

18 April 2012. Related: All topics, Pregnancy, Sero different couples.

My girlfriend and I are so in love. We want to have a baby naturally but I
am HIV positive, and she has herpes.

What do you suggest we do to have this baby naturally and not pass it on to her or the baby?

I am on antiretroviral drugs and have been undetectable for over a year.

Answer

Answer: Angelina Namiba

It’s great that you and your girlfriend are in love, looking forward to the future and planning to have a baby. Many sero-different couples (where one is positive and the other is negative) have had and continue to have healthy HIV negative babies.

It is possible for you and your girlfriend to have a baby naturally without you passing on HIV to her or the baby.  However, this is dependant on a number of factors including how adherent you are. (Adherence refers to taking your medication exactly as prescribed. It includes taking them on time and following any dietary advice). Taking ARVs (antiretroviral treatment for HIV) and having an undetectable viral load dramatically reduces the risk of passing on HIV to your girlfriend and the baby.

You mention that your girlfriend has herpes. Unfortunately the presence of STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) including herpes can increase the risk of transmission of HIV. Herpes could also be passed onto the to the baby during delivery. The good news is that, herpes can be easily treated using acyclovir.

Should the herpes re-occur during pregnancy, then your girlfriend can still take the treatment as acyclovir is safe to use during pregnancy. It is, therefore, important therefore that your girlfriend gets treatment for herpes before she becomes pregnant.

For more information on conception options available for a couple like you, please follow this link to our guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health. You may also find it helpful to read the Swiss statement which describes the risk of transmission from someone who is stable on treatment as being ‘negligible’.

Good luck with your future plans.