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

Answer: Simon Collins

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.

194 comments

  1. hellen •

    Can I have a healthy baby? I tested negative and my partner has tested positive for the first time.

  2. Robin Jakob •

    Hi,

    Yes, lots of positive women have HIV negative children. You can find lots of information about this here:
    http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy/becoming-a-mother

  3. Moleboheng •

    I’m HIV positive and a woman. Will i be able to have a healthy negative child?

  4. Simon Collins •

    Hi Victor

    If your viral load have been undetectable for more than six month on treatment, then the risk to your wife is very close to zero.

    Many couples have children safely this way.

  5. victor •

    I want to know still possible to have a baby if my wife is hivnegative and am positive we can still have a baby be course my previous cd4 was 380 and varial loud was LDL i need to know that

  6. Robin Jakob •

    Hi,

    Thank you for your enquiry. Sperm washing carries no risk for transmission for her. However it does reduce the likely hood of conception. Today most couples where one partner is positive and the other is not conceive naturally. To do this the positive partner has to have been on treatment for several months and have an undetectable viral load.

    You can find more information here:
    http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy/man-hiv-positive

  7. mk •

    Husband positive, wife negative, both want a baby. Is sperm washing 100% safe for her?
    What are the odds of her getting infected?

  8. Robin Jakob •

    Its great that you are thinking about having a child. You can find information above, and here in our guide:
    http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy/man-hiv-positive

  9. trent nkosi •

    Can a HIV posive father and HIV negative mother have a hiv negative baby?

  10. Simon Collins •

    Please see the information in this guide to HIV and pregnancy.
    http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy

    and these earlier questions:
    http://i-base.info/qa/faqs-on-having-a-baby

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