Handwritten question: If a woman has HIV and gets pregnant can the baby get HIV?
A real question from a young person, submitted anonymously.

If a woman has HIV and gets pregnant can the baby get HIV?

Sexual Health

Yes, it's possible for a mother with to pass the virus to her baby. This can happen during , during birth, or through breastfeeding.

But with the right medical care, the risk is very low. In the UK, women are tested for HIV as part of routine antenatal care. If someone is found to be HIV positive, they're given medication () that reduces the amount of virus in their body to very low levels. This makes it much less likely that the virus will be passed to the baby.

With proper treatment, the chance of the baby being born with HIV drops to less than 1%.

In the UK, mothers with HIV are also advised not to breastfeed, because the virus can be passed through breast milk. The baby may be given a short course of medication after birth as an extra precaution.

Yes, a mother with can pass the virus to her baby. This can happen during , during birth, or through breastfeeding.

But with the right medical care, the risk is very low. In the UK, women are tested for HIV. If someone has HIV, they are given medicine that reduces the virus in their body. This makes it much less likely to pass to the baby.

With proper treatment, the chance of the baby being born with HIV drops to less than 1 in 100.

Mothers with HIV in the UK are also advised not to breastfeed because the virus can be in breast milk.

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