I found out recently that I'm positive and my viral load is 1500. I have an infection in my womb where the doctor say I will have to go for operation to cut the mouth of the infected womb. Will it be safe to do an artificial insemination by my husband semen (as we want a baby) or should I wait until my viral load is low. What must I use to decrease the viral load?.

Clinical staging, CD4 counts, and viral load are all considered in making recommendations regarding therapy. In non-pregnant women, therapy is currently recommended if HIV-related symptoms/infections are present or CD4 count is under 200; many experts would initiate therapy for CD4 counts under 350. There is no viral load level that all experts agree on for starting therapy; however, many would recommend therapy for viral load over 10,000 and most would start therapy for viral load over 50,000. At 1500, your viral load is fairly low but you don't mention whether you have had any symptoms of HIV infection or what your CD4 T cell count are -- these would also be important in considering whether to start therapy.

If your husband is HIV negative, artificial insemination is probably the safest way for you to conceive without taking the risk of passing the infection to him. You should ask your care provider whether this may be an option for you.

Maternal antiretroviral therapy is the best way to optimize maternal health and prevent transmission of the virus to your baby. If you are considering pregnancy, you might consider starting ART even if you are asymptomatic, and have a good CD4 count. Again, you should discuss your options with your care provider to determine what is best for you. There is a lot of good information on this web site for HIV positive women who are considering pregnancy. Many women have written in to this Forum requesting information on HIV and pregnancy and the answers might be helpful to you in thinking about what to do.