HIV and Pregnancy
You can still become a parent when you are living with HIV.
It is very rare for a woman in the UK to pass on HIV to her child during pregnancy or birth.
Many women have had babies who are HIV negative when the mother was living with HIV. Less than one baby in a hundred is exposed to HIV during pregnancy, which means that over 99% of babies who are delivered to women living with HIV in the UK are born HIV-free. Medical help is readily available for all HIV-positive mothers-to-be and you should speak to your HIV doctor if you are planning to have a baby.
If you would like to discuss pregnancy or childbirth in more detail before doing so with your HIV clinic team, book an appointment with a George House Trust adviser.
FAQs
If the mother/birthing parent is not taking HIV medication when pregnant (for example they are diagnosed during their pregnancy), they will be advised to start HIV treatment immediately in order to help protect the baby during pregnancy. Sometimes the baby is delivered by caesarean section if there are complications, but in many cases it will be possible to deliver the baby naturally.
Following the birth of the child, the baby will also be given anti-HIV medication for a period of time which offers extra protection. UK guidelines advise that the mother/birthing parent should not breastfeed their baby as HIV is present in breast milk, and there is a small risk of HIV transmission. However, if they are undetectable and want to breastfeed, they should be supported to do so safely by their HIV clinic team.
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