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 Asandiswa,
If a baby is going to contract HIV it will be from their mother. You and your husband not using condoms will have no impact on your child’s possible status.
Hi,I am 8 weeks pregnant with HIV am on ARV’s but my husband is not and we are having unprotected sex should I be worried about infecting my baby
Hi Makena.
Your partner not being on medication won’t have any impact on your child.
Am HIVpositive with undetected viral load I have had unprotected sex 4-5 times with my partner who’s not on medication will my baby turn positive am 25 weeks pregnant
Hi Innocentia,
What is it that you’d like to know?
I’m HIV positive and my partner is HIV negetive and we always have unprotected sex im already taking my treatment………. but i have something on my vagina the problem is I’m pregnant I’m so scared of my baby can you please send an email
Hi Naomi,
It’s great that you’re on HIV treatment and you have an undetectable viral load. Being undetectable is the best way to protect your baby from HIV. Please see much more info in this guide to HIV, pregnancy and women’s health.
Is your husband HIV positive? Being undetectable can also protect your husband from HIV if he is negative. Please see undetectable = untransmitttable here.
I’m currently pregnant with a viral load of 47, I’ve been having unprotected sex with my husband who’s not on treatment. Will this increase risk of transmission to my fetus?
Hi Palesa, It’s great to hear you’re going to have a baby. Congratulations! By taking ARVs many HIV positive women around the world have had healthy HIV negative babies. There’s more info here in the guide to HIV, pregnancy and women’s health. ART can protect your health and your baby’s health. And being undetectable, with a viral load under 50, can also protect your husband’s health if he’s HIV negative.
hi palesa here, I’m just tested for pregnancy, I’m one month pregnant, and I’ve been on ARVs since 2015 in October until now, is my baby and my husband gonna be okay? and to protect them should I be given another medication apart from my ART treatment?