Firstly, I am sorry about your recent HIV diagnosis. Are you in contact with support groups for people living with HIV? Many find it helpful to share experiences and ways of coping with a new diagnosis.<\/p>\n
It is good that you and your partner are looking to the future and planning to have a baby. Many sero-different couples (where one is HIV positive and the other is negative), have had and continue to have healthy, HIV negative babies.<\/p>\n
With a CD4 count of 567, your immune system is\u00a0 still\u00a0 strong. There is therefore no immediate rush for you to start treatment. Both the BHIVA (British HIV Association) and the WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines for treatment recommend starting with a CD4 cout of 350.<\/p>\n
However, if you did get pregnant, you would need to take treatment ARVs (antiretroviral treatment for HIV). You will need to take ARVs for the duration of the pregnancy and until after the baby is born.\u00a0 The aim of taking ARVs is to ensure that you achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load throughout your pregnancy till the time you deliver. Viral load refers to the amount of virus in your body. An undetectable viral load\u00a0 (below 50 copies) means there is very little virus in your body and is therefore the best way of preventing transmission to the baby.<\/p>\n
As treatment is individualised, whether or not you continue with treatment after the pregnancy will depend on a number of factors including: your CD4 count when you started treatment; how you feel about continuing treatment and sometimes on the treatment guidelines in the country where you live.<\/p>\n