Question
My CD4 is 428, can I get pregnant?
10 December 2012. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Pregnancy.
My CD4 count is 428. I am on treatment.
Is it risky for to try to get pregnant now?
Also, how can I increase my CD4 count?
Answer
Hello,
Thanks for your email. Your CD4 count is very good. If you have recently started treatment your CD4 count should increase slowly over time. There are no supplements or treatments except ARVs that will help increase your CD4 count. You can read more about CD4 count increases in our Introduction to combination therapy.
Lots of HIV positive women get pregnant and have healthy babies. If you are thinking about getting pregnant your doctor or nurse should be able to advise you about this. Our pregnancy FAQs page answers some of the most common questions people have about this. We also have a guide to HIV and pregnancy which has lots more information.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Hi Mimi,
I’m so sorry that you’ve been treated so badly by a health care worker.
There is no reason why you can’t have kids. Loads of HIV positive people do. It doesn’t matter if you’ve only been on meds for a year. It really doesn’t. If you want to have a child, don’t let being positive stop you. For more info on HIV and pregnancy please see this guide.
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
With regards to forcing you to use contraception, the nurse had no right to do this. Nor did she have the right to tell you that you shouldn’t be having kids. If you feel up to it, you should complain.
hi I’ve been on meds for a year now and when i started my cd4 was 515. I now want to have a baby so on my last visit to the clinic, that was 2 weeks ago, I told the nurse who was attending to me that m planning to have a baby. She really gave me attitude and told me that I have only bn taking meds for 1 year so i shouldn’t think of having kids now and literally forced me to take contraception injections. Does it mean that I’m not suppose to have kids because I have HIV..please help me, I’m really depressed.
Hi, A CD4 count of 980 is strong. But it’s important to ask your clinic why they can’t give you treatment.
UK guidelines recommend that everybody can start treatment any CD4 count. This includes CD4 counts that are higher than 500. Similar recommendation are included in the US and WHO guidelines.
A few countries only recommend ART after the CD4 count drops to below 500. So the guidelines for your country will be important.
But the START study last year showed that starting treatment at high CD4 counts had many benefits – including for your general health.
My CD4 count is 980 what must I do, they say they can’t give me treatment. Is it possible to be negative in the next six months
Hi,
Many women who have far lower Cd4 counts than you are able to safely conceive and have HIV negative children.
You can find lots of information about HIV and pregnancy here:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
Need to conceive but leaving positively with a CD4 Count of 980
Hi,
The medication your clinic has given you will help prevent your baby becoming positive. It is also good for your health.
You can find more information about HIV and pregnancy here:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
My CD4 count is 428 and i’m pregnant. The clinic gave me antiviral drugs. Is my baby already infected? What will happen to my baby?
It is okay to try to conceive with a detectable viral load. It is more important that viral load becomes undetectable by the third trimester and especially when you come to give birth.
This guide to HIV and pregnancy includes information about how to have a baby.
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
I just find out that I am HIV +ve and I have been trying to concieve. now that I am +ve it makes me very sad coz Im desperately looking forward to have a baby and I dont have muct time to wait. My CD4 count is 431 viral load is 2500 do I have to wait until my viral load undetetable or if i might get pregnant before it is will I recover my viral load during this 9months period. Im waiting for my doctor to get back to me so that I can start my medication.