Can an Hiv Positive Woman Have a Baby

Pregnancy and HIV

A diagnosis of HIV does non mean you can't have children. But yous can laissez passer HIV to your baby during the pregnancy, while in labor, while giving birth, or by breastfeeding. The good news is that there are many ways to lower the run a risk of passing HIV to your unborn babe to almost zero.

What can I do before getting significant to lower my gamble of passing HIV to my baby?

If you plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor correct abroad. Your doctor can talk with you about how HIV tin can affect your wellness during pregnancy and your unborn baby's health. Your doctor tin work with yous to prepare for a salubrious pregnancy earlier you kickoff trying to go pregnant.

Everyone living with HIV should take HIV medicines to stay healthy. If you are thinking about becoming pregnant and are non taking HIV treatment, it is important that you begin, considering this volition lower your chances of passing the virus to your baby when y'all get significant.

There are ways for you to go pregnant that will limit your partner's take a chance of HIV infection. Yous can ask your medico about ways to get pregnant and nonetheless protect your partner.

I do non have HIV, but my partner does. Can I go pregnant without getting HIV?

Women have a higher risk of HIV infection during vaginal sex than men. If you do non have HIV but your male person partner does, the run a risk of getting HIV while trying to become pregnant can be reduced but not totally eliminated.

Talk to your dr. about HIV medicine you can take (called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP) to assistance protect you and your baby from HIV.

You may also want to consider donor sperm or assisted reproductive technology, such as semen washing or in vitro fertilization, to become significant. These options can be expensive and may not be covered by your health insurance.

I'm pregnant. Will my baby take HIV?

If yous just constitute out y'all are pregnant, see your doctor right abroad. Detect out what you can practise to take care of yourself and to give your infant a healthy first to life.

With your physician's assistance, you tin can determine on the best handling for you and your infant before, during, and after the pregnancy. You should also take these steps before and during your pregnancy to help you and your baby stay healthy.

Just because you take HIV doesn't hateful your child will get HIV. In the United States, earlier effective handling was bachelor, about 25% of significant mothers with HIV passed the virus to their babies. Today, if you take HIV treatment and have an undetectable viral load, your risk of passing HIV to your baby is less than 1%.¹

What can I practise to lower my risk of passing HIV to my baby?

Thanks to more HIV testing and new medicines, the number of children infected with HIV during pregnancy, labor and childbirth, and breastfeeding has decreased by ninety% since the mid-1990s.¹

The steps below can lower the hazard of giving HIV to your baby:

Tell your doctor yous want to get meaning. Your physician can help you lot decide if you lot need to change your treatments to lower your viral load, to assistance yous get pregnant without passing HIV to your partner, and to prevent you from passing the virus to your infant. He or she will also help you get as healthy as possible before you go pregnant to amend your chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby. Don't stop using condoms for STI prevention and another method of birth command for pregnancy prevention until your doctor says y'all are good for you enough to start trying.

Get prenatal care. Prenatal care is the intendance you receive from your doc while you are pregnant. You lot need to work closely with your doctor throughout your pregnancy to monitor your treatment, your health, and your baby'due south health.

Kickoff HIV treatment. Yous can starting time handling before pregnancy to lower the adventure of passing HIV to your baby. If yous are already on treatment, do not stop, but do see your doctor right away. Some HIV drugs should not be used while you're pregnant. For other drugs, you may demand a different dosage.

Manage side effects. Side furnishings from HIV medicines tin can be especially challenging during pregnancy, but it is still important that you take your medicine as directed past your doctor. Talk to your doctor well-nigh whatsoever side effects you accept and near ways to manage them.

Do not breastfeed. You tin can pass the virus to your baby through your breastmilk even if you are taking medicine. The all-time fashion to avoid passing HIV to your baby is to feed your infant formula instead of breastfeeding.

Brand sure your baby is tested for HIV right after nascency. You lot should choose a doctor or clinic experienced in caring for babies exposed to HIV. They will tell you what follow-up tests your baby volition need and when. Talk to your physician near whether your baby may benefit from starting treatment right away.

Ask your pediatric HIV specialist if your baby might benefit from anti-HIV medicines before you know if your baby is HIV-positive or HIV-negative. Research has shown that giving combination HIV drugs to newborns is better at preventing HIV than taking AZT (azidothymidine, an antiretroviral medicine) lonely.

Can I have HIV medicine during pregnancy?

HIV-infected meaning women should take HIV medicines. These medicines can lower the risk of passing HIV to a baby and improve the mother's health.

If you haven't used whatsoever HIV drugs before pregnancy and are in your first trimester, your doctor will help you decide if you should start handling. Hither are some things to consider:

• Nausea and vomiting may make it difficult to take the HIV medicine early during pregnancy.
• It is possible the medicine may affect your babe. Your doc will prescribe medicine that is safe to use during pregnancy.
• HIV is more commonly passed to a baby late in pregnancy or during delivery. HIV can be passed early in pregnancy if your viral load is detectable.
• Studies testify treatment works best at preventing HIV in a baby if it is started before pregnancy or as early as possible during pregnancy.

If you are taking HIV drugs and notice out you're significant in the starting time trimester, talk to your doctor about sticking with your current handling plan. Some things you lot can talk about with your md include:

• Whether to continue or stop HIV treatment in the beginning trimester. Stopping HIV medicine could cause your viral load to go upwards. If your viral load goes upward, the risk of infection likewise goes upwards. Your disease also could get worse and cause problems for your baby. So this is a serious decision to make with your medico.
• What furnishings your HIV medicines may accept on the baby
• Whether you lot are at risk for drug resistance. This ways the HIV medicine you have no longer works against HIV. Never stop taking your HIV medicine without first talking to your doctor.

Can I get help paying for care during pregnancy?

If you are pregnant, Medicaid may pay for your prenatal intendance. If you are pregnant and living with HIV, Medicaid might pay for counseling, medicine to lower the risk of passing HIV to your baby, and treatment for HIV. Each state makes its own rules regarding Medicaid. Contact your local or county medical assistance, welfare, or social services role to learn more. If you are unable to find that number, search your land'southward department of health.

If you don't think you qualify for assistance, check again. Sometimes states change their Medicaid rules. Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid eligibility expanded to embrace many more people. Likewise, you may be newly eligible for Medicaid considering of increased income limits for prenatal care and HIV treatment for pregnant women.

Yous may likewise admission care through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. Find a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program medical care provider near you.

Did we respond your question about HIV and pregnancy?

All material independent on these pages are free of copyright restrictions and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Citation of the source is appreciated.

Page last updated: November 27, 2018

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Source: https://www.womenshealth.gov/hiv-and-aids/living-hiv/pregnancy-and-hiv

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