At some point you might want to know whether you can become a mother or a father in the future. The good news is that, fortunately, it is possible to have healthy children, when you are HIV infected. However, a few measures do need to be taken. Discuss the different options with your doctor, HIV consultant and gynecologist. In addition to the risks of HIV transmission (between you and your partner and from mother to child), your own state of health is also important. Your body must be able to cope with a pregnancy.
If you have an HIV infection and want to become pregnant, it is important to know if your medication is harmful to the development of your unborn baby, or if it’s not. Sometimes you may have to (temporarily) switch to another anti-HIV drug. If you are a woman not yet using cART, it is really important to start taking it between the twentieth and twenty-eighth week of your pregnancy to prevent HIV from being transmitted to your child.
Fertilization can take place in various ways:
- The natural way. This is possible when an HIV-positive man or woman has had an immeasurably low number of HIV particles for at least six months, and also adheres to their therapy and has no other STDs. The chance that you will still transmit the virus is very small, but not zero. Therefore, always consult your HIV specialist when considering this.
- Via self-insemination.In case of an HIV-infected woman and an HIV-negative man.
- Artificial insemination via IVF (in vitro fertilization) or IUI (intrauterine insemination). If the man is HIV infected and the woman is HIV negative, the sperm can be 'washed'. In this process, the sperm cells are separated from the rest of the semen. This is because there is no HIV in the sperm cells themselves. Fertilization can then take place via:
- IVF, also known as in vitro fertilization. The sperm cell is introduced into the egg cell, outside of the woman's body. The fertilized egg is then put back into the woman's body.
- IUI, the selected sperm cells are placed into the woman's womb during ovulation.
The birth must always take place in the hospital because there is a chance of transmitting HIV during delivery. The gynecologist will check whether a vaginal birth is possible, otherwise a cesarean section will be performed. After the birth, blood is taken from the baby a number of times to test for HIV, and the baby has to take anti-HIV medication for a few weeks. The baby must not be breastfed because there is also a chance of HIV transmission via breast milk.
Fortunately, many babies have been born to HIV-positive mothers in the Netherlands in recent years, without HIV being transmitted to the child. Thanks to good care, guidance and medication!
At some point you might want to know whether you can become a mother or a father in the future. The good news is that, fortunately, it is possible to have healthy children, when you are HIV infected. However, a few measures do need to be taken. Discuss the different options with your doctor, HIV consultant or gynecologist. In addition to the risks of HIV transmission (between you and your partner and from mother to child), your own state of health is also important. Your body must be able to cope with a pregnancy.
If you have an HIV infection and want to become pregnant, it is important to know if your medication is harmful to the development of your unborn baby, or if it’s not. Sometimes you may have to (temporarily) switch to another anti-HIV drug. If you are a woman not yet using cART, it is really important to start taking it between the twentieth and twenty-eighth week of your pregnancy to prevent HIV from being transmitted to your child.
Fertilization can take place in various ways:
- The natural way. This is possible when an HIV-positive man or woman has had an immeasurably low number of HIV particles for at least six months, and also adheres to their therapy and has no other STDs. The chance that you will still transmit the virus is very small, but not zero. Therefore, always consult your HIV specialist when considering this.
- Via self-insemination. In case of HIV-infected woman and an HIV-negative man.
- Artificial insemination via IVF (in vitro fertilization) or IUI (intrauterine insemination). If the man is HIV infected and the woman is HIV negative, the sperm can be 'washed'. In this process, the sperm cells are separated from the rest of the semen. This is because there is no HIV in the sperm cells themselves. Fertilization can then take place via:
- IVF, also known as in vitro fertilization. The sperm cell is introduced into the egg cell, outside of the woman's body. The fertilized egg is then put back into the woman's body.
- IUI, the selected sperm cells are placed into the woman's womb during ovulation.
The birth must always take place in the hospital because there is a chance of transmitting HIV during delivery. The gynecologist will check whether a vaginal birth is possible, otherwise a cesarean section will be performed. After the birth, blood is taken from the baby a number of times to test for HIV, and the baby has to take anti-HIV medication for a few weeks. The baby must not be breastfed because there is a chance of HIV transmission via breast milk.
Fortunately, many babies have been born to HIV-positive mothers in the Netherlands in recent years, without HIV being transmitted to the child. Thanks to good care, guidance and medication!
