Rates of HIV transmission from women to their babies in the UK are low.
In 2011 just 1.5 per cent of new HIV diagnoses in the UK were cases of mother-to-child transmission - that's 95 children born with HIV in 2011. This figure was as high as 12 per cent in 1999.
Between 2005 and 2011, just 2 per cent of all babies born to HIV infected mothers. Around 70 per cent of these babies were born to mothers who were undiagnosed. The transmission rate in those diagnosed was just 1 per cent.
Antenatal screening, treatment to block transmission, avoiding breastfeeding, and elective Caesarean delivery have all dramatically reduced the number of new cases diagnosed. Using all these methods, the chances of a woman with HIV having a baby that is HIV negative have increased dramatically and are now over 99 per cent in general and 99.9 per cent for women on successful anti-retroviral treatment with an undetectable viral load. In 2011, 684,510 pregnant women were screened for HIV, an uptake of 97 per cent.
There are just under 1,500 people infected at birth receiving HIV care in the UK.
More information
You can read more about how babies can get HIV from their mothers, and how this risk can be lowered, elsewhere on our website.