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Ask the Experts about Women and HIV
HIV+ and want to have a baby
Aug 26, 2006
I'm a 38year old hiv+ female and has been for the past 10 years, and my husband is -. he
desperately wants to have a baby. My cd4 counts are well over 500 and my viral load has remained undetectable for the past 7 years. What are the chances of us having a successful pregnancy and what method should we consider to become pregnant. My biological clock is ticking!
Response from Dr. Luzuriaga
It sounds as if you are doing well and your chances for a successful pregnancy are good. Artificial insemination would avoid the risk of transmitting HIV to your husband.
There's a lot of information available on this Forum and web site regarding pregnancy planning for HIV positive women. I would urge you to review it and then meet with your care provider to discuss how you can best prepare for pregnancy.
You don't mention whether or not you are on antiretroviral medications. If you are, continuation of the medication regimen is generally recommended to optimize maternal health and minimize the risk of transmitting HIV to the baby. Most HIV medications are safe for administration during pregnancy, except for efavirenz. If you are on efavirenz, you should discuss changing your regimen with your care provider before you become pregnant. The "Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents During Pregnancy" (available on this web site) provide a lot of good information and should be particularly helpful to you as you plan your pregnancy.
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