Q: Both my wife and I are HIV positive. We want to have a child now. What are the chances of the child being HIV positive?

A:You must understand a few basic facts. With the parents HIV+, there is a 30% chance that the baby will be HIV infected. If the mother takes treatment during pregnancy and the baby also takes one dose of nevirapine or a similar medicine, the chance of the baby being infected is very low, especially if no breast milk is given. However, keep in mind that both the parents are HIV+ and so unless put on proper medication their chance of long survival is not very good. Who will look after the child? This must be planned carefully.