Yes, however, treatment with a combination of HIV medicines (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) can prevent transmission of HIV to your baby and protect your health.
How Can You Prevent Transmitting HIV to Your Baby?
If you have HIV, there are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of transmitting HIV to your baby.
Get Tested for HIV As Soon As Possible to Know Your Status
- If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, get tested for HIV as early as possible during each pregnancy. Knowing your HIV status gives you powerful information.
- If you learn you have HIV, the sooner you start treatment the better—for your health and your baby’s health and to prevent transmitting HIV to your partner.
- If you learn you don’t have HIV, but you are at increased risk of acquiring it, get tested again in your third trimester.
- Know your HIV status. Encourage your partner to get tested for HIV.
HIV-negative but at Risk? Take Medicine to Prevent HIV
- If you have a partner with HIV and you are considering getting pregnant, talk to your health care provider about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
- PrEP is medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. PrEP can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body.
- PrEP may be an option to help protect you and your baby from getting HIV while you try to get pregnant, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding. Find out if PrEP is right for you.
- If your partner has HIV, also encourage them to get and stay on HIV medicine. This will keep them healthy and help prevent them from transmitting HIV to you.
Are HIV Medicines Safe for You to Use During Pregnancy?
Most HIV medicines are safe to use during pregnancy. Talk with your health care provider about the benefits and risks of specific HIV medicines when deciding which HIV medicines to use during pregnancy or while you are trying to get pregnant.
Can You Breastfeed If You Have HIV?
The current recommendation in the United States supports shared decision-making between you and your health care provider regarding infant feeding. Taking HIV medicine and keeping an undetectable viral load substantially decreases your risk of transmitting HIV to your baby through breastfeeding to less than 1%. However, the risk is not zero. Properly prepared infant formula or banked donor human breastmilk are alternative options that eliminate the risk of transmission through breastfeeding. If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, talk to your health care provider as early as possible about what infant feeding choice is right for you.
