Giving birth with HIV

Having HIV will affect your choice of where and when to give birth. You will be advised to give birth in a hospital rather than at home even if your treatment is well-managed. This is because your baby will need to be tested after the birth to see whether they need treatment to prevent the virus being passed to them. 

• If the level of HIV in your blood is high, you will be advised to give birth in a hospital by caesarean birth. This reduces the chance of passing it on to the baby. 
• If the level of HIV in your blood is low, you will be able to give birth vaginally as there is a much lower risk of passing it to your baby during the birth. 

Your baby will be tested for HIV within 48 hours of birth. They'll usually be tested again at six and 12 weeks. A final test is also needed when your baby is 18 months old.