How HIV Impacts Fertility, Infant Outcomes When A Parent Is HIV-Positive, And Treatment Options

HIV infection can result in sub-fertility in patients due to biological alterations in reproductive physiology. Antiretroviral medications are toxic to gametes and embryos.

HIV-positive women are at an increased risk of preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, stillbirth, and preeclampsia. Without intervention, an HIV-infected woman has a 13 to 30 per cent risk of infecting her baby. It can occur during pregnancy or breastfeeding. ( Image Source :Getty )

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), can result in sub-fertility in patients due to biological alterations in reproductive physiology. Over 38 million worldwide are HIV-positive. HIV infection also affects psychosocial factors because of which reproductive desires are impacted. HIV is a retrovirus (contains reverse transcriptase, an enzyme which converts single-stranded RNA into DNA), and hence, is treated using antiretroviral