it makes me feel really good when i read some answers to questions.am a 27 yrs woman.i got married four years ago after i was dynosed of hiv.am presently on triomune and my CD4 is at 350 and VL undetectable.as for my husband he refuses to go for screening though he gets some symptoms.my fear here is that though we have protected sex, i will want have a baby.if he is + and i have unprotected sex with him in order to get pregnant,will that affect my VL count.thanks

Hello,

Having unprotected sex would place your husband at risk for HIV. Also, if he is HIV infected, it would place you at risk for superinfection. That means you could acquire a different strain of HIV and that could have a detrimental effect on your health. If you decide to have a baby, I would suggest in vitro fertilization. The sperm could be tested for HIV, thereby eliminating any risk for you. And since unprotected sex is not required, there is no risk to your husband.

Speaking of your husband, I am concerned about his reluctance to get tested. Obviously he is very scared. Continue to encourage him to address these fears. Perhaps he could come to your doctor's visits and you could discuss with your HIV specialist the whole situation, including plans for starting a family. Hopefully the specialist will also be able to address your husband's reluctance to get tested.

Good luck.

Dr. Bob