Raising a family with HIV
With today’s medications and scientific advancement in the area of HIV/AIDS having a family is possible. With the correct planning and management with your health care provider, there are ways to protect your baby.
Family planning for HIV infected patients
- Normal copulation if one partner is not HIV positive puts that partner at risk of becoming HIV Positive. But there are ways to do this with the partner who is HIV negative being on the antiretroviral treatment as is the HIV positive partner. The risk of infection is significantly reduced when the HIV positive partners viral load is undetectable.
- Assisted reproductions options:
- Oligospermia cup insemination – possibly the least invasive of all the procedures. Involves placing the sperm in a cup, much like the diaphragm. This cup is then attached to the cervix and the sperm is coaxed to enter and fertilize the egg.
- Intracytoplasmic sperm insertion – a fertilized egg that has been fertilized by injecting a single sperm into it is plated in the uterus or fallopian tubes.
- In utero fertilization – sperm is artificially inserted deep into the uterus in order to promote fertilization of an egg
- In vitro fertilization – This requires the woman to take fertility drugs, so her body will produce more eggs. Once the body is producing these eggs they are medically retrieved and are combined with her partner’s sperm in a petri dish. When fertilization has occurred the egg along with the embryo is placed into her uterus or fallopian tubes.
Conclusion
The procedure you decide on is your choice. The important thing when making the decision to have a child is to ensure that you follow the advice of your healthcare provider. Keep yourself healthy and have regular check-ups and contact with your doctor.