Planning to get pregnant

Planning to get pregnant

HIV treatment can reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to your baby. If you are pregnant, or planning pregnancy, it's very important to find out how you can reduce the risk of your baby being infected with HIV and to ensure your drugs are the best ones for pregnancy. Discuss your concerns and options with your doctor.

Talking to other HIV-positive women who have been through the experience can help you to make informed decisions about pregnancy, birth and looking after your baby’s health, such as having strategies in place for adhering to your treatment and for not breastfeeding.

You can prepare for pregnancy by making sure your viral load is low and that you and your partner are in good general health with no other infections or STIs. If you are thinking of becoming pregnant, you may be advised to try to conceive at a time when your viral load is likely to be low, or easily controlled by HIV treatment. If you have an opportunistic infection, you should wait until it has been treated or until you no longer need treatment to prevent you getting such an infection (sometimes called prophylaxis).

UK guidelines on managing HIV infection in pregnant women suggest some things HIV-positive women can do when preparing to conceive, including taking folic acid (a vitamin needed to make new cells in the body). If you are taking a drug called cotrimoxazole (Septrin) because of an opportunistic infection or as prophylaxis, you may need to take an increased dose if you are also taking folic acid.

Talk to your doctor if you are planning on getting pregnant to ensure that you are taking or starting the most suitable HIV medication for pregnant women.