Every year in the UK, over a thousand people living with HIV give birth and almost all have healthy babies who do not have HIV. Transmission of HIV from mother to baby can be prevented by:
- taking anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy,
- not breastfeeding, and
- giving the new baby anti-HIV medication for a few weeks.
Taking HIV treatment during pregnancy will protect your baby from getting HIV, and you may also need it for your own health. If the drugs reduce the amount of HIV in your blood to very low levels, you will usually be able to have a vaginal delivery.
Thanks to these safety measures, 99.7% of babies born to people living with HIV in the UK do not have HIV.
If you’re thinking about having a baby, but aren’t pregnant yet, it’s a good idea to talk to your HIV doctor about how you can prepare for a healthy pregnancy.