Yes, it is very possible for a woman with HIV to have a baby without passing HIV to her child, and it is also very possible for a man with HIV to make a woman pregnant without passing HIV to her.
The key is for the person with HIV to be taking their HIV meds every day up to the point where they are ‘virally suppressed’. This means there is so little HIV in their body that they cannot pass it to anyone else. A new HIV prevention drug called PrEP can also be used to help the partner without HIV stay extra safe.
For women, pregnancy does put extra stress on the body, so you’ll want to do everything you can to stay healthy, including eating healthy food and most importantly staying on your HIV meds. Doing that will help your baby to be healthy as well.
If you and your partner are thinking about having a baby and one or both of you has HIV, talk to a nurse at your local clinic. Or, if you’re already pregnant, when you go for your first clinic visit, be sure to tell the nurse that you’re living with HIV. The nurse will be able to advise you on everything you need to do to keep yourself and your baby healthy.
If you are pregnant, make sure you register for MomConnect at your local clinic or dial *134*550#. They’ll send you free information on WhatsApp on how to keep yourself and your baby healthy during and after your pregnancy.
