Q: My 24 years old friend is HIV positive. Her CD-4 count is around 600. She is unmarried and not taking any medication. Can she marry an HIV negative person? What precautions should she take while having sex with a HIV negative person? Can she give birth to a child with no HIV infection? Can she conceive without infecting him? Is nano silver therapy useful for her?

A:1. As your friend’s CD-4 count is quite good, she doesn’t need Anti-Retroviral Treatment for HIV infection. However, she needs to remain on regular follow up with the nearest ART Centre. 2. There is not restriction of her marrying a HIV negative person. It is a decision that both the partners need to take - fully aware of the fact that the husband can get infected with HIV even while always having sex with use of condoms. 3. Please contact a specialised, advanced fertility centre where sperms from a HIV negative husband can be treated with special procedures and made HIV free. With these cleaned up sperms, pregnancy can be tried by artificial insemination. (During routine, unprotected sexual intercourse, the pregnancy can result normally but the risk of HIV infection to the husband will be there). 4. No, we can’t comment on nano silver therapy as not much is known. 5. Lastly, if your HIV friend becomes pregnant, the baby borne to her can be protected against HIV infection by administration of certain medicines to her (your friend) during pregnancy, child birth and after delivery; avoidance of breast feeding the baby; and by undergoing a caesarean operation for delivery.