If you are HIV-positive.. Give birth to a healthy baby!

1. 🩺 HIV problem and pregnancy
2. 🤰 Necessary measures aimed at reduction of probability of infecting the child to a minimum
3. ⭐ If it is man who is infected with HIV
4. 💊 If it is woman who is infected with HIV

HIV problem and pregnancy

 Taking a decision to conceive a child is always a very important step, but it becomes even more responsible when it refers to a couple, in which one of the partners is HIV-positive.

Of course, HIV diagnosis creates additional risks for infecting a child, and if nothing is done, they are very high. So, if an HIV-infected woman becomes pregnant without taking special precautions, the risk that the virus is passed to the child is 30-50%. But proper preparation for pregnancy and a set of preventive measures reduces the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child by up to 1-2%.

Necessary measures aimed at reduction of probability of infecting the child to a minimum

For couples in which one of the partners is HIV-infected (discordant couples), it is necessary to plan pregnancy in advance. It is important to undergo a preliminary examination and consult with physicians: infectious diseases specialist, gynecologist, reproductive specialist. It is necessary to determine the immune status and, of course, to start taking antiretroviral drugs in advance.

The probability of infecting a child with HIV is increased if a woman has other sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, it is very important to undergo a full examination and, if necessary, treat the identified diseases.

The couple must choose a conception method. If the disease is under control, then it is possible to conceive a child through unprotected sexual intercourse. But in this case there is a risk of infecting the partner. And although this risk is not too considerable, in case of health control, for discordant couples, the physicians still recommend using assisted reproductive conception techniques.

If it is man who is infected with HIV

If a man is HIV-positive, then special sperm purification technologies are used. After the purification procedure and subsequent testing of sperm for HIV- are performed, the sperm can be used to fertilize a woman.

After examination of the couple, the most suitable option of artificial insemination is selected. This may be intrauterine insemination or IVF. In the HIV-positive men, sperm quality is often quite low, and this is why IVF or IVF + ICSI are most often used. During IVF, the fertilization of a woman’s egg by the partner’s sperm is performed “in vitro”, after which the embryo is transferred to the uterine cavity.

If it is woman who is infected with HIV

Statistics show that the women infected with HIV often have reproductive disorders. Therefore, first of all, you need to check the status of the reproductive system using a special examination. If the functions are preserved, the couple can introduce the man’s sperm into the female’s genital tract itself, for example, using a syringe, on the day when the woman has ovulation. But most often, in order to achieve the result, it is necessary to apply the IVF procedure, which, as a rule, allows achieving pregnancy.

The Feskov Human Reproduction Group has developed programs that will help, for sure, to get pregnant and give birth to a child, even for married couples who have reproductive problems and “burdening factors”, such as HIV. The clinic will offer you a full range of reproductive services necessary for the beginning of pregnancy. During carriage of a child, a woman will be under the examination of physicians, which will ensure the safe course of pregnancy and the birth of a healthy and non-infected child. Plan your pregnancy in advance, use modern reproductive assistive methods, use the necessary medical support, and your dream of having a healthy baby will come true even if you have HIV! The company Feskov Human Reproduction Group is always ready to help you in this!

Authors, contributors:

Alexander Mikhailovich Feskov
MD., Ph.D., Professor, founder and director of Feskov Human Reproduction Group

published: 02 September 2019
updated   : 02 March 2023

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