Question
My CD4 count is low. Can I have a baby?
7 June 2012. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Pregnancy.
I am 29 years old. I am HIV positive and have been taking ARVs for 5 years.
I want a child but my chances of having a baby are scarce because my CD4 count is low.
What must I do to increase my CD4 cells? Please help me.
Answer
Having a low CD4 count alone should not stop you from having a baby. Many women living with HIV who have a low CD4 count have gone on to have babies.
The most important factor in having a healthy HIV negative baby is having an undetectable viral load by the time you deliver. Please follow this link to our guide to HIV, pregnancy and women’s health. The guide answers a lot of general questions you may have around planning your pregnancy.
I hope you don’t mind if I ask you a few questions before I respond to your second question. This will enable me to give you a more comprehensive answer.
You mention that you have been on treatment for 5 years and that your CD4 count is low. Can I ask how low your CD4 count is? Do you also know what your viral load is? And a finally, do you remember what your CD4 count was when you started taking ARVs (antiretroviral treatment for HIV)?
I can appreciate you are concerned that it is taking long for your CD4 count to increase. This is not uncommon. The rate at which CD4 counts increase is usually related to how low they got before you started treatment. Most people see an increase their CD4 count within a year of starting treatment.
However, if your CD4 count was quite low to begin with it could take you much longer to see more of an increase in your CD4 count. Please follow this link to our guide to An introduction to combination therapy for more detailed information on the rate at which average CD4 counts increases over the years,
Your third question was regarding what you can do in order to increase your CD4 count. By taking ARVs, you are already doing the best you can. This is because, ARVs are the only proven way of not only achieving and maintaining an undetectable viral load, it is the only way of increasing your CD4 count.
Good luck with your future plans.
Hi
I am almost due and my viral load is below 40 but my CD4 count is low ,last i chevked it was at 381 ….i was wondering if i can gibe birth naturally or is a Csection better…
Please advice
Hi Pule,
This Q&A answers a similar question. So it’s good news, and the answer is that your ARV treatment can protect both your wife and your kids from HIV.
Here’s a link to the U=U campaign. This campaign says that if your viral load is undetectable on ARVs, then you cannot transmit HIV even if you don’t use condoms.
Do you have access to your viral load results? Please let us know.
Hi , I’m a male 34, I tested positive dearly this year and my cd4 was 410 when I started with ARVs and now it’s bn more 5months been on ARVs so what chance are there for me to have kids that are negative because the wife is negative
Hi Cyntia,
As Angelina says above, having a low CD4 count shouldn’t stop you from having a baby.
But it’s great that you’re taking HIV medication. The most important factor in having a healthy HIV negative baby is having an undetectable viral load by the time you deliver. HIV meds can help to get your viral load down to undetectable quickly.
Here’s the i-Base guide to HIV, pregnancy and women’s health for more info.
Hi am Cynthia. Am hiv pos just started taking drugs 4 abt 3months ago.when I started my CD4 count was 194.for now dont know d level.just wanted to asked .at what level of CD4 count it’s best for pregnancy. N also been struggling to get pregnant to no avail.could it b am not fit
Hi Nandir.
Its still very possible that your viral load will be undetectable before you give birth as you still have some time left. If for some reason your viral load is still detectable, if you were in the UK you’d be advised to have a C-section, (please see here):
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
At this point its not possible to say if your baby will be negative or not. This is why its important that babies take medication once they are born. Your baby will also need to be tested, this is routine.
My CD4 is 410 and viral load is 2000 plus, how possible it’s to give birth to a negative child and I am 35 weeks already
Hi RD,
It’s great that you and your wife are thinking about having a baby. And, as Angelina says on this question, having CD4 count of 398 should not stop you from having a baby.
Are you on HIV meds? If your viral load is undetectable this can protect your wife and baby. There’s more info about having a baby in this guide to HIV, pregnancy and women’s health.
Hi
i am male
my CD4 is 398
i want baby from my wife, what i do ?
Hi Katie,
Your viral load is undetectable, this is great news. What this means is that the risk of transmitting HIV to your baby is drastically reduced.
At the moment its not possible to say if your baby will be positive or not, this is why its important to have babies tested and for them to take ARVs when they are first born.