Question
Can an HIV positive man still have children?
24 March 2007. Related: All topics, Pregnancy.
Can an HIV positive man still have children? If so, what is the risk to mother and child?
Answer
Thanks for your question which is very easy to answer.
The simple answer is a definite “yes” as being on modern HIV treatment also protects your partner.
As long as viral load is undetectable, the risk of transmission becomes zero. This means that your partner will not be at risk and the baby will be negative too.
The risk of a baby having HIV is only directly related to the HIV status of the mother, not the father.
So if your partner is also HIV positive, this is how you can have an HIV negative baby.
The i-Base guide to HIV, Pregnancy and Women’s Health includes a chapter on planning pregnancies and is available online or in print.
Note: This answer was last updated in January 2018 from an original post from March 2007.
Hi Suman,
Undetectable means untransmittable (U=U). So your wife doesn’t need to use PrEP. But you can talk to the doctor at the clinic and discuss risks and benefits of using PrEP while trying to conceive.
Hello presently am undetectable and my wife is negative. Does she need the use of prep?Is prep safe for pregnancy??
Please guide us.
Thank you for your questions and responses.. This is a huge moral support for many people
Hi Myint.
Please see Q’s 6, 9 and 14 here: http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
I’m Hiv+ man and my viral load is not detected since 3/2017 and CD4 count is 1069.I want to get the baby with my wife and she is negative.We ever used comdom but now we want to get the baby.How we should do?Please advise me.Thank you sir.
Hi Suman,
If you’re undetectable then you don’t need to use sperm washing. The reason being is that you cannot transmit HIV when you have an undetectable viral load. Please see here: http://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
Does sperm washing completely nullify the risk of hiv transmission?? Also to mention that I am right now undetectable and from india. Plz reply.
Hi Buttercup,
There’s no reason at all why you can’t enjoy a sex life without condoms. Your husbands viral load is undetectable so he cannot transmit HIV to you. Please see here: http://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
I’m HIV negative, and my hubby is HIV +, I know that it is safe to have unprotected sex while the ovulation window is open when trying to conceive, but what about casual sex without a condom? His viral load is undectecable and stays under 20 when he is tested, and he is tested frequently. Is there a greater risk or reason why we can’t have casual sex like normal married couples?
Hi Wisdom,
If you’re taking ART and your viral load has been undetectable for several months you cannot transmit HIV. This protects both your partner and your baby. Please see here for more info on Undetectable = Untransmittable.
Please see this similar Q&A, Can an HIV positive man still have children?.