Question
Is unprotected sex safe in pregnancy?
3 July 2013. Related: All topics, Pregnancy.
Hi, I wanted to know is it safe to have unprotected sex when your pregnant while taking ARVs?
Answer
Hi,
Can you give me a bit more information to help me answer your question?
Is the person/people that you are considering having unprotected sex with also HIV+? If they are, are they also on treatment?
Being on treatment with an undetectable viral load will mean that the chance of passing HIV to your baby is very very small.
The main considerations around unprotected sex are
- HIV reinfection (superinfection) if your partner(s) are HIV positive. This is really only a concern if your partner(s) have any drug resistance that could affect your treatment, and a detectable viral load. You can read about reinfection here.
- Transmission to your partner(s) if they are HIV negative. Again, if you have an undetectable viral load this is much less likely. You can read about transmission and viral load here.
- Other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These can pose a risk to the health of your baby, and may increase the risk of transmitting HIV. It is therefore important that you and your partners are free from any STIs before having unprotected sex.
I hope this is helpful- please let me know if you have any questions or I can help further.
Hi Tom,
Please see Q’s 1 and 9 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
What are the chances of getting Hiv positive when someone who is Hiv negative and has inserts a partially erected penis into a hiv positive women’s vagina who is 9 months pregnant . And this lasted for Less than 10 seconds without ejaculation.
Hi Thato,
Please see the following guide.
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
I’ve just found out that I’m positive. I’m 18 weeks pregnant. Will the baby be OK? I’m on meds.
Hi Gersha,
Is your partner on medication for his HIV? If he is and his viral load is undetectable you will be OK. This is because when someone has an undetectable viral load you can’t transmit the virus through sexual intercourse.
If his viral load is detectable, then you risk contracting HIV if you don’t use condoms.
Hi i would like to know when you are 5weeks pregnant and you have sex with your partner that didn’t told you his hiv positive and only tells you when he finds out im pregnant with his baby,so i brought myself two hiv tests and both came out negative or is my baby going to have it or what?Can someone please help me im stress and worried
Hi Thandy,
If you’re husband of 7 years is negative, this implies that you were positive before you began a relationship with him. For why your husband isn’t positive, please see Q5 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
If you’re on medication and your viral load is undetectable, then yes you can have sex with your husband without using a condom. Q9 at the above link explains why. If your viral load isn’t undetectable, I would wait until it is. This is because there is a risk that you will transmit HIV to your husband. This is even if so far you haven’t.
Info about HIV and pregnancy can be found here:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
me and my husband we have been married for 7 years,this year march i found that i m pregnant and positive,I started taking treatment..my hubby tested negative…
how possible is this???
is it safe for a baby for us to have unprotected sex.
Hi Israel,
Babies contract HIV through their mothers, not their fathers. If your partner isn’t positive then the baby won’t be positive. If you aren’t on medication you risk infecting your partner. Are you on meds?
I’m HIV positive and I had sex with my girl and shes negative. Shes
pregnant. My question is, is it possible my unborn baby will be infected?