Yes. While pregnancy carries certain health risks, research suggests that HIV infection doesn't appear to add to these risks. However, there are no absolute certainties or across-the-board truths. Every woman is different.
There's no data to suggest that pregnancy accelerates the rate of HIV disease progression. HIV by itself won't stop you from having a safe pregnancy. In fact, a study published in September 2007 suggests that pregnancy may actually have protective health effects for HIV-positive women. The study found that HIV-positive pregnant women were more than 60 percent less likely to progress to AIDS or death over a six-year follow-up period than those who did not become pregnant.
As for your baby's health, there is much to be optimistic about. Without proper HIV medical care, an HIV-positive pregnant woman has a 25 percent chance of passing HIV to her baby. However, if she receives antiretroviral therapy while she is pregnant—and keeps her viral load undetectable—the risk of her passing the virus to her baby is 2 percent (or less). And if she is generally healthy, gets good prenatal care, controls risk factors (smoking, high blood pressure, etc.), the risks of premature delivery and birth defects are similar to those for HIV-negative women delivering babies.
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