Is it legal to inseminate an HIV positive woman?

A woman who is HIV positive but she wants to have a kid. I have understood if the procedures are executed correctly, it is possible for the kid to be virus-free with a very high certainty. Can she ask to be artificially inseminated?

Cassing Hammond, MD, described a number of studies published in the literature in 1989 or presented at the Fifth International Conference on AIDS in Montreal, Quebec, in that year, on the subject of reproductive choice by HIV-infected women.[1-4] Termination rates varied from 30% to 93%, but, most important, these rates were comparable with demographically similar HIV-negative cohorts. During this period, zidovudine was not used in pregnancy, and most of these investigators were advising their patients that the risk of perinatal HIV transmission was at least 50%. The key finding, however, was that women did not seem to terminate pregnancies for reasons related to their HIV status. Reasons cited in these studies for continuation of pregnancy included good health, religious opposition to abortion, and the desire to have a child. The most important resource for decision making, as identified by these women, was other HIV-infected women and, in particular, women who had borne children who appeared healthy at that point in time

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/4191...

Yes, I believe it is highly possible for an HIV positive mother to give birth to an HIV negative baby. There are all kinds of medical treatments that the doctor can do to prevent the virus from spreading. I don't recall the exact statistic but I know that it is very rare for it to be spread from mother to child when doctors are aware of her status and do everything to prevent the trasmission.

Obviously, the woman could not breastfeed because it could trasmit that way.

If you are a woman that is HIV positive and wishes to conceive, I strongly suggest you go see a doctor and talk to them about this. It is NOT illegal. Woman have a right to freedom of reproduction.

Artificial insemination is a great way for her to become pregnant. You could use the sperm of your partner/boyfriend/husband or if you are single simply go to a sperm bank.

The babies that contract HIV from their mothers are either borin the developing world with no medical care or their mothers did not inform the doctor of their status or they were unaware they had HIV. They did not do the special procautions needed.

Good luck!

EDIT: I recently looked back at this question and I just wanted to say that if you are an HIV positive woman that wants to conceive, I think you should go for your dream!!! The poster that said that it is less than a 2% chance if the doctor gives her special medicine is correct. I recall in a class I took last semester the teacher explained that the woman is given a special medication to prevent the transmission. I don't recall exactly or know much about it....but I do know it can be easily prevented! I also know that every woman that goes in her first medical visit during pregnancy is tested for HIV. This is because the transmission is PREVENTABLE. The doctor can simply give medication early in the pregnancy to prevent it.

I am honestly appalled and horrified by the poster that said it would be selfish to conceive a child. They are incredibly ignorant, hateful, and uneducated. They obviously know nothing on the subject of HIV. Go for it! Go to a doctor and get ready to conceive!

The risk of mother to child infection is 25% with no interventions at all. With medication the risk can be as low as 2%. Yes she can be artificially inseminated and yes she can have a child that with proper precautions will be HIV negative. It is not illegal for her to get pregnant. :)

And depending on her viral load she can become impregnated the good old fashion way with out a lot of risk to her partner. This would totally depend it it was a life partner or just a donor- The life partner would know the risks, the donor should be come in a medical procedure as not to put him in harms way.

I think to take the risk of putting another life at risk is EXTREMELY selfish.. I know she didn't ask to be infected and neither would that innocent child.. there or hundreds of thousands of kids in our messed up foster care system that would love to just have someone to call their own.. maybe she should consider giving life to someone who was dealt a messed up hand in life..tell her to consider this option we need to save these poor children..

ya she can still have a baby..

she would have to take meds and what not.. but she can certainly have children.. she just needs to go talk to her doctor.. im not going to down her for that.. but i would like to say is good luck to her.

If a doctor ok's a plan then any problem could result in malpractice but i do not believe a woman who knowingly has HIV is allowed to knowingly have vaginal intercourse with a non infected person or deliver babies as they likely will too carry the Virus