There are several different options for reducing the chances of passing on HIV while trying to get pregnant. If you are an HIV+ woman and an HIV-negative man seeking information on getting pregnant, the options below will help you understand what might be the best for you, and prepare for discussions with your health care provider. (For other options, you can return to the main " Getting Pregnant and HIV" page.)

This is a cheap and simple way of getting pregnant. It involves having the man ejaculate (cum) into a clean cup or condom. If using a condom, be sure to use a condom without spermicide; after sex, pull the penis out of the vagina with the condom still on (you can also masturbate into a condom or cup, without vaginal sex). Then, using a syringe (without a needle) or baster, you suck up the semen and insert the syringe or baster deep inside the vagina. Once the syringe or baster is deep inside the vagina, you squeeze out and deposit the semen. You can get non-needle syringes at almost any pharmacy as they are commonly used to give medicines to babies. Your HIV provider may also have some to give you.

It is more effective to use this method when a woman is fertile, or when she is ovulating. Ovulation occurs when an egg is released from the woman’s ovary and usually happens about two weeks before a woman starts her menstrual period. Insemination during the “fertile window” – usually one to two days before ovulation and one day after ovulation – has a greater chance of success. For more information on understanding and tracking your fertility, visit:

• Fertility Awareness Center
• Pinpointing Fertile Days
• Bay Area Perinatal AIDS Center: Home Insemination for HIV+ Female Discordant Couple

This means that a sperm fertilizes an egg with the help of a medical technique or therapy. Assisted reproduction (sometimes called “assisted reproductive technology” or ART) is useful when the future parent(s) require help to prevent HIV transmission between partners, are using donor sperm, or are having difficulty getting pregnant at home because of fertility issues. Unfortunately, few facilities offer assisted reproduction to HIV+ patients, and few health insurance plans cover it. There are several types of assisted reproduction:

• Intra-vaginal insemination (IVI): Very similar to home insemination, only done in a clinic.
• Intra-uterine insemination (IUI): Semen (sperm and seminal fluid) is drawn up into a narrow tube, which is then inserted through the cervix into the uterus (womb). The semen is deposited in the uterus, where fertilization of the egg can occur.
• In-vitro fertilization (IVF): The woman takes fertility drugs to help her prepare eggs (also called ripening her eggs). When eggs are ready (or ripe), they are removed from the ovary and put in a dish with sperm. Once there is a fertilized egg (embryo), it is put back in the woman’s uterus.
• Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): This is a specific type of IVF in which a sperm is injected directly into an egg using a very thin needle. When a fertilized egg occurs, it is returned to the woman’s uterus. This method is used when a man’s sperm do not swim well or are not normally shaped.

It is important to remember that no matter how low the HIV+ partner’s viral load – even if it is undetectable – there is always some risk of passing HIV to the uninfected partner with any type of unprotected sex. If you choose this method, the risk of passing on HIV is lower if you only have unprotected sex when the woman is ovulating (when she is most likely to get pregnant).

The risk of passing HIV to an uninfected partner may also be reduced when the HIV+ member of the couple takes HIV drugs (continuous combination antiretroviral treatment), even when he or she has no symptoms and a relatively healthy immune system. Recent studies of serodiscordant heterosexual (“straight”) couples showed that HIV drugs were very effective in preventing HIV transmission to the uninfected stable partner of someone with HIV.

Another way to reduce the risk of passing HIV to your uninfected partner is to have the HIV-negative partner take Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine) as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP. PrEP means taking medicine before being exposed to something to prevent yourself from getting a disease or condition. In July 2012, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the daily use of Truvada as PrEP for sexually active adults at risk for HIV infection. The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) now recommends that serodiscordant couples consider using PrEP as an additional tool to help reduce sexual transmission of HIV while trying to conceive.

If you intend to have unprotected sex, it is important to tell your sexual partner that you are HIV+. Exposing someone to HIV without telling them you are HIV+ can result in serious legal action being taken against you.

This involves using IVF and eggs donated by another woman, who is checked for fertility and diseases. The woman who is donating eggs takes fertility drugs to help her prepare eggs (also called ripening her eggs). When eggs are ready (or ripe), they are removed from her ovary and put in a dish with sperm. Once there is a fertilized egg (embryo), it is put in your womb (uterus). Although this method uses the eggs of a woman who is HIV-negative, it is still important for you to take HIV drugs to prevent passing HIV on to your child during pregnancy or childbirth.

Your egg is fertilized using IVF or ICSI, then transferred to another woman’s surrogate womb. The surrogate carries and gives birth to your child. If the surrogate is HIV-, there is zero risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Although it is biologically possible to have an HIV+ woman’s fertilized egg implanted in an HIV- surrogate, you may encounter several legal or regulatory challenges to this option for getting pregnant. Even if this option is legal in your state, it may be difficult to find fertility clinics or surrogacy centers willing to provide this service to HIV+ women.

Offering a permanent family to a parentless child may be an option if having biologic offspring is not a good choice for you. Adoptions can be done within the US or internationally. Some agencies and/or countries may have prejudices against HIV+ people adopting children.

Regardless of your HIV status, choosing to have a child can be a very difficult and very exciting decision. While having a supportive relationship with a knowledgeable health care provider is a good idea for any potential parent, for people living with HIV it is even more important. A friendly health care provider can talk with you about many issues around pregnancy and having children: which option is right for you, appropriate HIV treatments for you and/or your partner, whether to disclose your HIV status to others (including other providers, your child’s pediatrician, additional friends and family), and how to handle the stigma and fear around being HIV+ and pregnant.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a friendly health care provider who is knowledgeable about HIV and pregnancy. Some health care providers simply are not aware of the wealth of information about pregnancy planning for their HIV+ patients. Perhaps even more challenging, though, are the judgmental attitudes still held by many health care providers. When The Well Project’s Founder, Dawn Averitt Bridge, asked providers about getting pregnant, she faced some very negative reactions before she found a wonderful provider who supported her desire to have children. For more about Dawn's experience in trying to get pregnant, and subsequently having two healthy HIV-negative daughters, please read click the links below:

• HIV and Pregnancy: Tough Choices and the Right to Choose (Journal of the Associate of Nurses in AIDS Care, Vol. 13, No. 3, May/June 2002, 11-12 courtesy of the Sophia Forum)
• Breaking the Taboos: Pregnancy Planning and Fertility Issues for PLWHAs in the US (transcript from presentation at AIDS 2010 in Vienna, Austria, courtesy of TheBody.com)
• Baby Love (POZ magazine, December 2002)

The Well Project has started a list of friendly family planning providers who are informed about pregnancy planning for HIV+ people. Even though the providers listed might not be in your area or town, it might be worth a call or email to answer any questions you might have or for possible referrals. You can also contact Shannon Weber with the Perinatal HIV Hotline at sweber@nccc.ucsf.edu for questions about pregnancy planning and resources for people living with HIV.

Given the existing stigma against HIV+ people having children, you may encounter judgmental responses from others. Therefore, it is important that you build a strong support network of loving family, friends, and providers. Your support network can help you make good decisions and weather the negative, sometimes disheartening moments. If you do not have a good number of friends and family who support you, you may consider starting your own support group; for more information, see our info sheet Starting a Support Group.

Ultimately, you get to choose when and whether to have children. You deserve to be treated with respect and given access to the information necessary to make an informed decision and plan for your future.

There are several different options for reducing the chances of passing on HIV while trying to get pregnant. If you are an HIV+ man and an HIV-negative woman seeking information on getting pregnant, the options below will help you understand what might be the best for you, and to prepare for discussions with your health care provider. (For other options, you can return to the main " Getting Pregnant and HIV" page.)

Sperm washing refers to a process in which sperm is separated from seminal fluid (semen = sperm + seminal fluid). Since HIV exists in seminal fluid but not in sperm, ‘washing’ the sperm clean of the seminal fluid lowers the risk of infection. See “ Understanding the Science” for more information. Any of the types of assisted reproduction listed below can be used with washed sperm to get the HIV- woman pregnant.

This means that a sperm fertilizes an egg with the help of a medical technique or therapy. Assisted reproduction (sometimes called “assisted reproductive technology” or ART) is useful when the future parent(s) require help to prevent HIV transmission between partners, are using donor sperm, or are having difficulty getting pregnant at home because of fertility issues. Unfortunately, few facilities offer assisted reproduction to HIV+ patients, and few health insurance plans cover it. There are several types of assisted reproduction that can be used with washed sperm:

• Intra-uterine insemination (IUI): Washed sperm is drawn up into a narrow tube, which is then inserted through the cervix into the uterus (womb). The sperm is deposited in the uterus, where fertilization of the egg can occur.
• In-vitro fertilization (IVF): The woman takes fertility drugs to help her prepare eggs (also called ripening her eggs). When eggs are ready (or ripe), they are removed from the ovary and put in a dish with sperm. Once there is a fertilized egg (embryo), it is put back in the woman’s uterus.
• Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): This is a specific type of IVF in which a sperm is injected directly into an egg using a very thin needle. When a fertilized egg occurs, it is returned to the woman’s uterus. This method is used when a man’s sperm do not swim well or are not normally shaped.

Donor sperm comes from a sperm bank or from someone you know who does not have HIV. Sperm donors to sperm banks are most often anonymous, and they are tested for fertility and diseases to make sure the sperm is safe and able to result in pregnancy. This involves no risk of HIV transmission to your partner.

Donor sperm is often used in an assisted reproductive technique called intra-vaginal insemination (IVI). In this procedure, sperm are placed deep inside the vagina by a health care provider. This is very similar to home insemination, only done in a clinic. Donor sperm can also be used in any of the other assisted reproductive techniques listed above.

This involves using donor sperm from someone you know who does not have HIV. Depending on the state in which you live, you may be able to use donor sperm from a sperm bank for home insemination. If using donor sperm from a sperm bank for home insemination is possible in your state, ask your sperm bank for instructions on how to use the sperm at home.

If using sperm from someone you know who does not have HIV, have the man ejaculate (cum) into a clean cup or condom. If using a condom, be sure to use a condom without spermicide. Then, using a syringe (without a needle) or baster, you suck up the semen and insert the syringe or baster deep inside the vagina. Once the syringe or baster is deep inside the vagina, you squeeze out and deposit the semen. You can get non-needle syringes at most any pharmacy as they are commonly used to give medicines to babies. Your HIV provider may also have some to give you.

It is more effective to use home insemination when a woman is fertile, or when she is ovulating. Ovulation occurs when an egg is released from the woman’s ovary and usually happens about two weeks before a woman starts her menstrual period. Insemination during the “fertile window” – usually one to two days before ovulation and one day after ovulation – has a greater chance of success. For more information on understanding and tracking your fertility, visit:

• Fertility Awareness Center
• Pinpointing Fertile Days

It is important to remember that no matter how low the HIV+ partner’s viral load – even if it is undetectable – there is always some risk of passing HIV to the uninfected partner with any type of unprotected sex. If you choose this method, the risk of passing on HIV is lower if you only have unprotected sex when the woman is ovulating (when she is most likely to get pregnant).

The risk of passing HIV to an uninfected partner may also be reduced when the HIV+ member of the couple takes HIV drugs (continuous combination antiretroviral treatment), even when he or she has no symptoms and a relatively healthy immune system. Recent studies of serodiscordant heterosexual (“straight”) couples showed that HIV drugs were very effective in preventing HIV transmission to the uninfected stable partner of someone with HIV.

Another way to reduce the risk of passing HIV to an uninfected partner is to have the HIV-negative partner take Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine) as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP. PrEP means taking medicine before being exposed to something to prevent yourself from getting a disease or condition. In July 2012, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the daily use of Truvada as PrEP for sexually active adults at risk for HIV infection. The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) now recommends that serodiscordant couples consider using PrEP as an additional tool to help reduce sexual transmission of HIV while trying to conceive.

If you intend to have unprotected sex, it is important to tell your sexual partner that you are HIV+. Exposing someone to HIV without telling them you are HIV+ can result in serious legal action being taken against you.

Offering a permanent family to a parentless child may be an option if having biologic offspring is not a good choice for you. Adoptions can be done within the US or internationally. Some agencies and/or countries may have prejudices against HIV+ people adopting children.

Regardless of your HIV status, choosing to have a child can be a very difficult and very exciting decision. While having a supportive relationship with a knowledgeable health care provider is a good idea for any potential parent, for people living with HIV it is even more important. A friendly health care provider can talk with you about many issues around pregnancy and having children: which option is right for you, appropriate HIV treatments for you and/or your partner, whether to disclose your HIV status to others (including other providers, your child’s pediatrician, additional friends and family), and how to handle the stigma and fear around being HIV+ and pregnant.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a friendly health care provider who is knowledgeable about HIV and pregnancy. Some health care providers simply are not aware of the wealth of information about pregnancy planning for their HIV+ patients. Perhaps even more challenging, though, are the judgmental attitudes still held by many health care providers. When The Well Project’s Founder, Dawn Averitt Bridge, asked providers about getting pregnant, she faced some very negative reactions before she found a wonderful provider who supported her desire to have children. For more about Dawn's experience in trying to get pregnant, and subsequently having two healthy HIV-negative daughters, please read the links below:

• HIV and Pregnancy: Tough Choices and the Right to Choose (Journal of the Associate of Nurses in AIDS Care, Vol. 13, No. 3, May/June 2002, 11-12 courtesy of the Sophia Forum)
• Breaking the Taboos: Pregnancy Planning and Fertility Issues for PLWHAs in the US (transcript from presentation at AIDS 2010 in Vienna, Austria, courtesy of TheBody.com
• Baby Love (POZ magazine, December 2002)

The Well Project has started a list of friendly family planning providers who are informed about pregnancy planning for HIV+ people. Even though the providers listed might not be in your area or town, it might be worth a call or email to answer any questions you might have or for possible referrals. You can also contact Shannon Weber with the Perinatal HIV Hotline at sweber@nccc.ucsf.edu for questions about pregnancy planning and resources for people living with HIV.

Given the existing stigma against HIV+ people having children, you may encounter judgmental responses from others. Therefore, it is important that you build a strong support network of loving family, friends, and providers. Your support network can help you make good decisions and weather the negative, sometimes disheartening moments. If you do not have a good number of friends and family who support you, you may consider starting your own support group; for more information, see our info sheet Starting a Support Group.

Ultimately, you get to choose when and whether to have children. You deserve to be treated with respect and given access to the information necessary to make an informed decision and plan for your future.

There are several different options for reducing the chances of passing on HIV while trying to get pregnant. If you are an HIV+ single woman or an HIV+ woman in a same-sex relationship seeking information on getting pregnant, the options below will help you understand what might be the best for you, and to prepare for discussions with your health care provider. (For other options, you can return to the main " Getting Pregnant and HIV" page.)

This involves using donor sperm from someone you know who does not have HIV. Have the man ejaculate (cum) into a clean cup or condom. If using a condom, be sure to use a condom without spermicide. Then, using a syringe (without a needle) or baster, you suck up the semen and insert the syringe or baster deep inside the vagina. Once the syringe or baster is deep inside the vagina, you squeeze out and deposit the semen. You can get non-needle syringes at most any pharmacy as they are commonly used to give medicines to babies. Your HIV provider may also have some to give you.

Depending on the state in which you live, you may be able to use donor sperm from a sperm bank for home insemination. Sperm banks collect and store samples from sperm donors. Donors are most often anonymous, and they are tested for fertility and diseases to make sure the sperm is safe and able to result in pregnancy. If using donor sperm from a sperm bank for home insemination is possible in your state, ask your sperm bank for instructions on how to use the sperm at home.

It is more effective to use home insemination when a woman is fertile, or when she is ovulating. Ovulation occurs when an egg is released from the woman’s ovary and usually happens about two weeks before a woman starts her menstrual period. Insemination during the “fertile window” – usually one to two days before ovulation and one day after ovulation – has a greater chance of success. For more information on understanding and tracking your fertility, visit:

• Fertility Awareness Center
• Pinpointing Fertile Days
• Bay Area Perinatal AIDS Center: Home Insemination for HIV+ Female Discordant Couple

This means that a sperm fertilizes an egg with the help of a medical technique or therapy. Assisted reproduction (sometimes called “assisted reproductive technology” or ART) is useful when the future parent(s) require help to prevent HIV transmission between partners, are using donor sperm, or are having difficulty getting pregnant at home because of fertility issues. Unfortunately, few facilities offer assisted reproduction to HIV+ patients, and few health insurance plans cover it. There are several types of assisted reproduction:

• Intra-vaginal insemination (IVI): Very similar to home insemination, only done in a clinic.
• Intra-uterine insemination (IUI): Semen (sperm and seminal fluid) is drawn up into a narrow tube, which is then inserted through the cervix into the uterus (womb). The semen is deposited in the uterus, where fertilization of the egg can occur.
• In-vitro fertilization (IVF): The woman takes fertility drugs to help her prepare eggs (also called ripening her eggs). When eggs are ready (or ripe), they are removed from the ovary and put in a dish with sperm. Once there is a fertilized egg (embryo), it is put back in the woman’s uterus.
• Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): This is a specific type of IVF in which a sperm is injected directly into an egg using a very thin needle. When a fertilized egg occurs, it is returned to the woman’s uterus. This method is used when a man’s sperm do not swim well or are not normally shaped.

This involves using IVF and eggs donated by another woman, who is checked for fertility and diseases. The woman who is donating eggs takes fertility drugs to help her prepare eggs (also called ripening her eggs). When eggs are ready (or ripe), they are removed from her ovary and put in a dish with sperm. Once there is a fertilized egg (embryo), it is put in your womb (uterus). Although this method uses the eggs of a woman who is HIV-negative, it is still important for you to take HIV drugs to prevent passing HIV on to your child during pregnancy or childbirth.

Your egg is fertilized using IVF or ICSI, then transferred to another woman’s womb. This woman is often called a surrogate. The surrogate carries and gives birth to your child. If the surrogate is HIV-negative, there is zero risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Although it is biologically possible to have an HIV+ woman’s fertilized egg implanted in an HIV-negative surrogate, you may encounter several legal or regulatory challenges to this option for getting pregnant. Even if this option is legal in your state, it may be difficult to find fertility clinics or surrogacy centers willing to provide this service to HIV+ women.

Offering a permanent family to a parentless child may be an option if having biologic offspring is not a good choice for you. Adoptions can be done within the US or internationally. Some agencies and/or countries may have prejudices against HIV+ people adopting children. In addition, adoption may be more difficult as a single woman or as a woman in a same-sex relationship given different states’ and/or international adoption rules. Some states and countries do not allow single or same-sex parents to adopt. Even in those that allow it, there are often prejudices against single or same-sex parents and in favor of heterosexual married couples.

Regardless of your HIV status, choosing to have a child can be a very difficult and very exciting decision. While having a supportive relationship with a knowledgeable health care provider is a good idea for any potential parent, for people living with HIV it is even more important. A friendly health care provider can talk with you about many issues around pregnancy and having children: which option is right for you, appropriate HIV treatments for you and/or your partner, whether to disclose your HIV status to others (including other providers, your child’s pediatrician, additional friends and family), and how to handle the stigma and fear around being HIV+ and pregnant.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a friendly health care provider who is knowledgeable about HIV and pregnancy. Some health care providers simply are not aware of the wealth of information about pregnancy planning for their HIV+ patients. Perhaps even more challenging, though, are the judgmental attitudes still held by many health care providers. When The Well Project’s Founder, Dawn Averitt Bridge, asked providers about getting pregnant, she faced some very negative reactions before she found a wonderful provider who supported her desire to have children. For more about Dawn's experience in trying to get pregnant, and subsequently having two healthy HIV-negative daughters, please read the links below:

• HIV and Pregnancy: Tough Choices and the Right to Choose (Journal of the Associate of Nurses in AIDS Care, Vol. 13, No. 3, May/June 2002, 11-12 courtesy of the Sophia Forum)
• Breaking the Taboos: Pregnancy Planning and Fertility Issues for PLWHAs in the US (transcript from presentation at AIDS 2010 in Vienna, Austria, courtesy of TheBody.com)
• Baby Love (POZ magazine, December 2002)

The Well Project has started a list of friendly family planning providers who are informed about pregnancy planning for HIV+ people. Even though the providers listed might not be in your area or town, it might be worth a call or email to answer any questions you might have or for possible referrals. You can also contact Shannon Weber with the Perinatal HIV Hotline at sweber@nccc.ucsf.edu for questions about pregnancy planning and resources for people living with HIV.

Given the existing stigma against HIV+ people having children, you may encounter judgmental responses from others. Therefore, it is important that you build a strong support network of loving family, friends, and providers. Your support network can help you make good decisions and weather the negative, sometimes disheartening moments. If you do not have a good number of friends and family who support you, you may consider starting your own support group; for more information, see our info sheet Starting a Support Group.

Ultimately, you get to choose when and whether to have children. You deserve to be treated with respect and given access to the information necessary to make an informed decision and plan for your future.

There are several different options for reducing the chances of passing on HIV while trying to get pregnant. If you are an HIV+ single man or an HIV+ man in a same-sex relationship looking information on having a child, the options below will help you understand what might be the best for you, and to prepare for discussions with your health care provider. (For other options, you can return to the main " Getting Pregnant and HIV" page.)

Sperm washing refers to a process in which sperm is separated from seminal fluid (semen = sperm + seminal fluid). Since HIV exists in seminal fluid but not in sperm, ‘washing’ the sperm clean of the seminal fluid lowers the risk of infection. See “ Understanding the Science” for more information. Any of the types of assisted reproduction listed below can be used with washed sperm to get an HIV-negative surrogate pregnant. Although it is biologically possible to have an HIV+ man’s washed sperm fertilize a donor’s egg and be implanted in a surrogate, you may encounter several legal or regulatory challenges to this option. Even if it is legal in your state, you may find fertility clinics or surrogacy centers unwilling to provide this service to HIV+ men.

This means that a sperm fertilizes an egg with the help of a medical technique or therapy. Assisted reproduction (sometimes called “assisted reproductive technology” or ART) is useful when the future parent(s) require help to prevent HIV transmission between partners, are using donor sperm, or are having difficulty getting pregnant at home because of fertility issues. Unfortunately, few facilities offer assisted reproduction to HIV+ patients, and few health insurance plans cover it. There are several types of assisted reproduction that can be used with washed sperm:

• Intra-uterine insemination (IUI): Washed sperm is drawn up into a narrow tube, which is then inserted through the cervix into the uterus (womb). The sperm is deposited in the uterus, where fertilization of the egg can occur.
• In-vitro fertilization (IVF): The woman takes fertility drugs to help her prepare eggs (also called ripening her eggs). When eggs are ready (or ripe), they are removed from the ovary and put in a dish with sperm. Once there is a fertilized egg (embryo), it is put back in a woman’s uterus.
• Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): This is a specific type of IVF in which a sperm is injected directly into an egg using a very thin needle. When a fertilized egg occurs, it is returned to a woman’s uterus. This method is used when a man’s sperm do not swim well or are not normally shaped.

Offering a permanent family to a parentless child may be an option if having biologic offspring is not a good choice for you. Adoptions can be done within the US or internationally. Some agencies and/or countries may have prejudices against HIV+ people adopting children. In addition, adoption may be more difficult as a single man or as a man in a same-sex relationship given different states’ and/or international adoption rules. Some states and countries do not allow single or same-sex parents to adopt. Even in those that allow it, there are often prejudices against single or same-sex parents and in favor of heterosexual married couples.

Regardless of your HIV status, choosing to have a child can be a very difficult and very exciting decision. While having a supportive relationship with a knowledgeable health care provider is a good idea for any potential parent, for people living with HIV it is even more important. A friendly health care provider can talk with you about many issues around pregnancy and having children: which option is right for you, appropriate HIV treatments for you and/or your partner, whether to disclose your HIV status to others (including other providers, your child’s pediatrician, additional friends and family), and how to handle the stigma and fear around being HIV+ and pregnant.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a friendly health care provider who is knowledgeable about HIV and pregnancy. Some health care providers simply are not aware of the wealth of information about pregnancy planning for their HIV+ patients. Perhaps even more challenging, though, are the judgmental attitudes still held by many health care providers. When The Well Project’s Founder, Dawn Averitt Bridge, asked providers about getting pregnant, she faced some very negative reactions before she found a wonderful provider who supported her desire to have children. For more about Dawn's experience in trying to get pregnant, and subsequently having two healthy HIV-negative daughters, please read the links below:

• HIV and Pregnancy: Tough Choices and the Right to Choose (Journal of the Associate of Nurses in AIDS Care, Vol. 13, No. 3, May/June 2002, 11-12 courtesy of the Sophia Forum)
• Breaking the Taboos: Pregnancy Planning and Fertility Issues for PLWHAs in the US (transcript from presentation at AIDS 2010 in Vienna, Austria, courtesy of TheBody.com)
• Baby Love (POZ magazine, December 2002)

The Well Project has started a list of friendly family planning providers who are informed about pregnancy planning for HIV+ people. Even though the providers listed might not be in your area or town, it might be worth a call or email to answer any questions you might have or for possible referrals. You can also contact Shannon Weber with the Perinatal HIV Hotline at sweber@nccc.ucsf.edu for questions about pregnancy planning and resources for people living with HIV.

Given the existing stigma against HIV+ people having children, you may encounter judgmental responses from others. Therefore, it is important that you build a strong support network of loving family, friends, and providers. Your support network can help you make good decisions and weather the negative, sometimes disheartening moments. If you do not have a good number of friends and family who support you, you may consider starting your own support group; for more information, see our info sheet Starting a Support Group.

Ultimately, you get to choose when and whether to have children. You deserve to be treated with respect and given access to the information necessary to make an informed decision and plan for your future.

There are several different options for reducing the chances of passing on HIV while trying to get pregnant. If you are an HIV+ woman and an HIV+ man seeking information on getting pregnant, the options below will help you understand what might be the best for you, and to prepare for discussions with your health care provider. (For other options, you can return to the main " Getting Pregnant and HIV" page.)

This involves using donor sperm from someone you know who does not have HIV. Have the man ejaculate (cum) into a clean cup or condom. If using a condom, be sure to use a condom without spermicide. Then, using a syringe (without a needle) or baster, you suck up the semen and insert the syringe or baster deep inside the vagina. Once the syringe or baster is deep inside the vagina, you squeeze out and deposit the semen. You can get non-needle syringes at most any pharmacy as they are commonly used to give medicines to babies. Your HIV provider may also have some to give you.

Depending on the state in which you live, you may be able to use donor sperm from a sperm bank for home insemination. Sperm banks collect and store samples from sperm donors. Donors are most often anonymous, and they are tested for fertility and diseases to make sure the sperm is safe and able to result in pregnancy. This involves no risk of HIV transmission to your partner. If using donor sperm from a sperm bank for home insemination is possible in your state, ask your sperm bank for instructions on how to use the sperm at home.

It is more effective to use home insemination when a woman is fertile, or when she is ovulating. Ovulation occurs when an egg is released from the woman’s ovary and usually happens about two weeks before a woman starts her menstrual period. Insemination during the “fertile window” – usually one to two days before ovulation and one day after ovulation – has a greater chance of success. For more information on understanding and tracking your fertility, visit:

• Fertility Awareness Center
• Pinpointing Fertile Days

Sperm washing refers to a process in which sperm is separated from seminal fluid (semen = sperm + seminal fluid). Since HIV exists in seminal fluid but not in sperm, ‘washing’ the sperm clean of the seminal fluid lowers the risk of infection. See “ Understanding the Science” for more information. Washed sperm can be used with the assisted reproductive techniques described below.

This means that a sperm fertilizes an egg with the help of a medical technique or therapy. Assisted reproduction (sometimes called “assisted reproductive technology” or ART) is useful when the future parent(s) require help to prevent HIV transmission between partners, are using donor sperm, or are having difficulty getting pregnant at home because of fertility issues. Unfortunately, few facilities offer assisted reproduction to HIV+ patients, and few health insurance plans cover it. There are several types of assisted reproduction:

• Intra-vaginal insemination (IVI): Very similar to home insemination, only done in a clinic.
• Intra-uterine insemination (IUI): Semen (sperm and seminal fluid) is drawn up into a narrow tube, which is then inserted through the cervix into the uterus (womb). The semen is deposited in the uterus, where fertilization of the egg can occur.
• In-vitro fertilization (IVF): The woman takes fertility drugs to help her prepare eggs (also called ripening her eggs). When eggs are ready (or ripe), they are removed from the ovary and put in a dish with sperm. Once there is a fertilized egg (embryo), it is put back in the woman’s uterus.
• Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): This is a specific type of IVF in which a sperm is injected directly into an egg using a very thin needle. When a fertilized egg occurs, it is returned to the woman’s uterus. This method is used when a man’s sperm do not swim well or are not normally shaped.

It is important to remember that no matter how low your viral load – even if it is undetectable – there is always some risk of superinfection when having unprotected sex. Superinfection – sometimes called reinfection – is infection with an HIV strain different and possibly stronger or more drug-resistant than the HIV strain you already have. If you choose this method, the risk of passing on HIV is lower if you only have unprotected sex when the woman is ovulating (when she is most likely to get pregnant).

This involves using IVF and eggs donated by another woman, who is checked for fertility and diseases. The woman who is donating eggs takes fertility drugs to help her prepare eggs (also called ripening her eggs). When eggs are ready (or ripe), they are removed from her ovary and put in a dish with sperm. Once there is a fertilized egg (embryo), it is put in your womb (uterus). Although this method uses the eggs of a woman who is HIV-negative, it is still important for you to take HIV drugs to prevent passing HIV on to your child during pregnancy or childbirth.

Your egg is fertilized using IVF or ICSI, then transferred to another woman’s surrogate womb. The surrogate carries and gives birth to your child. Although it is biologically possible to have an HIV+ woman’s egg fertilized by an HIV+ man’s washed sperm and implanted in an HIV-negative surrogate, you may encounter several legal or regulatory challenges to this option for getting pregnant. Even if this option is legal in your state, it may be difficult to find fertility clinics or surrogacy centers willing to provide this service to HIV+ people.

As a woman living with HIV, you may choose to have your partner’s sperm fertilize an HIV-negative woman’s egg and have that same HIV-negative woman give birth to your child. In this situation, the man’s sperm would need to be washed, then used with an assisted reproductive technique described above to get the HIV-negative surrogate pregnant.

Offering a permanent family to a parentless child may be an option if having biologic offspring is not a good choice for you. Adoptions can be done within the U.S or internationally. Some agencies and/or countries may have prejudices against HIV+ people adopting children.

Regardless of your HIV status, choosing to have a child can be a very difficult and very exciting decision. While having a supportive relationship with a knowledgeable health care provider is a good idea for any potential parent, for people living with HIV it is even more important. A friendly health care provider can talk with you about many issues around pregnancy and having children: which option is right for you, appropriate HIV treatments for you and/or your partner, whether to disclose your HIV status to others (including other providers, your child’s pediatrician, additional friends and family), and how to handle the stigma and fear around being HIV+ and pregnant.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a friendly health care provider who is knowledgeable about HIV and pregnancy. Some health care providers simply are not aware of the wealth of information about pregnancy planning for their HIV+ patients. Perhaps even more challenging, though, are the judgmental attitudes still held by many health care providers. When The Well Project’s Founder, Dawn Averitt Bridge, asked providers about getting pregnant, she faced some very negative reactions before she found a wonderful provider who supported her desire to have children. For more about Dawn's experience in trying to get pregnant, and subsequently having two healthy HIV-negative daughters, please read click the links below:

• HIV and Pregnancy: Tough Choices and the Right to Choose (Journal of the Associate of Nurses in AIDS Care, Vol. 13, No. 3, May/June 2002, 11-12 courtesy of the Sophia Forum)
• Breaking the Taboos: Pregnancy Planning and Fertility Issues for PLWHAs in the US (transcript from presentation at AIDS 2010 in Vienna, Austria, courtesy of TheBody.com)
• Baby Love (POZ magazine, December 2002)

The Well Project has started a list of friendly family planning providers who are informed about pregnancy planning for HIV+ people. Even though the providers listed might not be in your area or town, it might be worth a call or email to answer any questions you might have or for possible referrals. You can also contact Shannon Weber with the Perinatal HIV Hotline at sweber@nccc.ucsf.edu for questions about pregnancy planning and resources for people living with HIV.

Given the existing stigma against HIV+ people having children, you may encounter judgmental responses from others. Therefore, it is important that you build a strong support network of loving family, friends, and providers. Your support network can help you make good decisions and weather the negative, sometimes disheartening moments. If you do not have a good number of friends and family who support you, you may consider starting your own support group; for more information, see our info sheet Starting a Support Group.

Ultimately, you get to choose when and whether to have children. You deserve to be treated with respect and given access to the information necessary to make an informed decision and plan for your future.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a friendly health care provider who is knowledgeable about HIV and pregnancy. Some health care providers simply are not aware of the wealth of information about pregnancy planning for their patients living with HIV (HIV+). Perhaps even more challenging, though, are the judgmental attitudes that many health care providers still have.

Below is a list of friendly family planning providers who are informed about pregnancy planning for HIV+ people. If you are interested in adding your name, organization, or clinic to this resource list, please email us at info@thewellproject.org. Thank you!

Go back to " Getting Pregnant and HIV".

Choices: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health
Memphis, TN
Tel: 901-274-3550 or 800.843.9895 (toll free)
Offers integrated reproductive health and HIV-related care

Columbia University Center for Women’s Reproductive Care
New York, NY
Tel: 646-756-8294
Email: mdk2132@columbia.edu
Call or email to request information packet on HIV-related fertility services

Duncan Holly Biomedical
Boston, MA
Tel: 617-623-7447
Email: lab@bedfordresearch.org
Provides sperm washing for HIV+ men and works with 76 collaborating fertility clinics around the world

Laurel Fertility Care
San Francisco, Modesto, and Fresno, CA
Tel: 1-888-442-3888 (toll free)
Email: info@laurelfertility.com
Provides fertility services

Perinatal HIV Hotline
Contact Shannon Weber at sweber@nccc.ucsf.edu for questions about pregnancy planning and resources for people living with HIV