Question
How long after starting treatment can we conceive?
23 August 2012. Related: All topics, Pregnancy.
What difference does it make if my husband has been undetectable for 1-2 months or 6 months before we try for a baby. He started meds about 2 months ago and was undetectable within 4 weeks.
We have waited 4 years until my husband needed to start meds and now we want to try for a baby ASAP. Please help.
Answer
Hello,
Thank-you for your question.
It’s great to hear that your husband has had such a good response to treatment.
Even though viral load quickly reached undetectable in the blood it usually takes longer for to reach undetectable in other body fluids. So viral load takes about six months to become undetectable in lymph nodes and perhaps genital fluids (like semen).
Even with treatment 10% of people sometimes have detectable virus in genital fluids although this is usually also significantly reduced, similar to blood.
This is probably why your doctor is being cautious by to suggesting to wait for at least six months before trying for a baby. Even if this feels frustrating, this time will go quickly.
In order to keep your risk as low as possible, guidelines also recommend to only not use condoms during the few days each month when you are most fertile. After you become pregnant it is also recommended to go back to using condoms as the risk of catching HIV is higher during pregnancy and just after.
Please follow this link for more information about viral load and risk of transmission.
Link link discussed conceiving when the man is positive and the women is negative.
Hi Hlumelo,
Please see Q6 here: http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
We both HIV + and my partner but we need a baby.
Hi Mlm,
Until your husbands viral load is undetectable you are at risk of contracting HIV. Once his viral load becomes undetectable then its perfectly safe to have sex without using a condom, thus try for a baby. A persons viral load should ideally become undetectable within 1-3 months, however it can take longer.
My husband he is+and im-there is chance we can have a baby?how long we should wait he started 3 days ago to take medical
So long as your fiancee does not have STIs or drug resistant HIV, then this will not affect your response to treatment. If you didn’t use condoms before starting treatment though, there is no need to you to use them now just because you are on treatment. good luck with your treatment – how are your finding it?
I’m three weeks on tribuss and my fiancee is not,we use condoms but not always can this affect my viral load not going down?
Hi Joe,
There are many couples in the same situation as you and your partner. Please follow this link to a similar question for more information. If you have any questions please let me know!
HIV+guy who haas been taking arv’s since August 2011.living with my partner who is HIV-,and have a 2year old daughter also negative.Is there a chance we can have another baby without her contracting HIV