Thinking about having a baby

With the right care, HIV positive women can give birth to children without passing on HIV. Find out more about getting pregnant, staying healthy during your pregnancy and increasing your chances of having a healthy, HIV negative child.

There are a number of techniques and fertility treatments that can allow people who are HIV-positive to become pregnant or father a child safely. For example, men who are HIV-positive may be able to father a child using a technique called sperm-washing.

Another option is donor insemination. Women who are HIV positive and have an HIV-negative partner can use self-insemination to become pregnant.

Talk to your healthcare team about your situation and the possibilities available to you.

Adoption or fostering might be another option. Having HIV does not automatically mean you can’t adopt, but your health and circumstances would be assessed before you could apply, to ensure the child’s long-term needs can be met.

Similarly, you can adopt or foster a child if you are single, or if you are gay or lesbian, as long as you can show that you can meet a child’s needs.