If you want to get pregnant, your doctor can help you make it happen. With the right medical guidance, you can reduce your chances of having a positive baby from about 25% to less than 1%.
It is only the mother, and not the father, that can transmit HIV to a baby. It is not exactly known how the virus can pass from mother to baby, but it seems to happen late in the pregnancy. The biggest risk factor is high viral load in the mother. Your doctor will advise you to aim for an undetectable viral load before conceiving. Keep taking your treatments while you are pregnant to minimise the chances of passing the virus on to the baby.
Being pregnant will not make your HIV any worse although your CD4 count can drop a little. This is only a concern if it drops below 200 cells/mm3. The virus can also be passed on via breast feeding so you will be advised to feed your baby formula milk only. Your baby will be given a short course of anti-HIV treatment after the birth.
