Children 101

Adoption

If you are considering adopting children, because of federal law, the adoption agency cannot consider your health condition. For information about adopting a child, click here.

If you are considering having children

Before you agree to a treatment which may prevent you from having children, speak with your doctor about freezing eggs if you are a woman, or banking sperm if you are a man.

Conception can also occur with a sperm donation from a known donor or sperm bank.  For information about preserving your ability to have a child, click here.

HIV:  Inception

• Unprotected sex is discouraged for a person is HIV positive. However, assisted reproductive technologies can permit pregnancy while minimizing the risk of HIV being transmitted to the uninfected partner. This can occur either through intrauterine insemination (in the uterus) or in vitro (in a test tube).
• If it is the male who is HIV positive, the sperm is isolated from the semen and "washed" -- a procedure that is done in a laboratory (not at home). Sperm does not carry HIV. Semen does.
• Alternatively, positive-negative couples may have a low-risk, lower-cost choice that should only be attempted under the supervision of a doctor who specializes in treatment of people with HIV. A doctor in Switzerland (Dr. Pietro Vernazza) counseled 22 couples. The men took HIV medications until their viral load was undetectable for three months. Their semen was then tested for HIV, and the women for fertility. When both HIV-free semen and female fertility occurred at the same time, the women were prescribed several doses of a pre-exposure prophylaxis. 70% of the women became pregnant. None of then got HIV. 
• HIV: Transmission To A Child  HIV can be transmitted to a child in the uterus or after birth through breast feeding. The risk ot transmitting HIV to an unborn child from an HIV positive mother can be substantially reduced by using AZT and possibly other drugs. In one study, the risk was reduced to 1.5% of those women who received antiretroviral treatment and appropriate care during their pregnancy. According to the Public Health Service Task Force report in November 2007, combination antiviral regimens are more effective than single-drug regimens in reducing transmission.
• The Task Force encourages using alternatives to breast feeding. The Task Force report is available at: http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/PerinatalGL.pdf

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