Question 1

What is folic acid? When do I start folic acid and what dose?

Accepted Answer

Folic acid is a supplementation that is recommended before and during pregnancy to help make sure the neural tube (which becomes the spine) in the fetus develops properly. It can be started as soon as you start thinking about pregnancy, but you definitely should be on it at least 3 months before pregnancy.  If you are not actively preventing pregnancy (i.e., regularly using some form of birth control method) and there is a chance you might become pregnant, you should be taking folic acid.  Many people only realise that they are pregnant 4 weeks into their pregnancy (when they have a late period).  By then, the neural tube in the fetus is already almost formed. So starting to take folic acid before pregnancy is really important. The recommended dose is 0.4 – 1 mg per day and it is continued throughout pregnancy. Folic acid can be purchased at a drug store without a prescription and is usually found behind the pharmacy counter.  Prenatal vitamins also contain folic acid, so some people planning pregnancy simply take a prenatal vitamin every day.  If there is a family history of neural tube defects or a high risk of neural tube defects, the dosage can be increased up to 5 mg per day. Speak to a healthcare professional if you have specific questions about folic acid.

Question 2

What about neural tube defects with the use of dolutegravir and what are the recommendations for folic acid in that scenario?

Accepted Answer

After some concerns about the risk of dolutegravir increasing neural tube defects, the current recommendation is that when taken at the time of conception, dolutegravir likely slightly (

Question 3

What is U=U?

Accepted Answer

U=U stands for undetectable = untransmittable.  It is the slogan that has taken shape based on the evidence that people with undetectable viral loads cannot sexually transmit HIV.

Question 4

Is U=U for real? I really can’t transmit HIV to my sexual partner if I am taking my HIV meds and have an undetectable viral load?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Studies have shown that people with viral loads of less than 1500/ml cannot pass the virus to their sexual partners because the virus is not in the body fluids. The most important aspect is that people with undetectable viral loads continue to take their medication and maintain a suppressed viral load. So as long as you have an undetectable viral load, for at least 3 but preferably 6 months, you #cantpassiton.

Question 5

Does it have to be complicated? Can we just go ahead and have sex?

Accepted Answer

It does not need to be complicated. If either you or your partner are living with HIV and are taking effective HIV medication and have an undetectable viral load, you can go ahead and have sex without a condom. If you or your partner or both of you are taking effective HIV medication and your viral load is undetectable, you cannot transmit the virus sexually (remember U=U).  The Canadian HIV Pregnancy Planning Guidelines (CHPPG) recommend avoiding condomless sex until the person(s) with HIV has had an undetectable viral load for at least 3 months, but preferably 6 months, with at least two viral load measurements at least one month apart below the limit of detection. You may also want to time the condomless sex with peak fertility (i.e. ovulation).  For more information on timing ovulation see the FAQ below, "Do we have to time ovulation?".   If, however, you are in a sero-discordant relationship (i.e., one partner is positive, the other is negative) with a non supressed viral load, and still want to get pregnant, it is highly recommended that you use condoms and the partner with HIV work with their HIV care team to achieve an undetectable viral load before trying to have sex without a condom. If this is not possible, it is essential that the negative partner take something called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which is one pill per day to prevent HIV. Speak to a healthcare professional if you have specific questions about conception options (and see some of the FAQs below).

Question 6

What is pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) exactly and when should it be used when trying to get pregnant?

Accepted Answer

PrEP is the use of anti-HIV medication (the same kind of medication people living with HIV take to fight the virus inside their body) that keeps HIV negative people from becoming infected. Specifically, the anti-HIV medication consists of two antiretroviral drugs in a combination pill known as Truvada® and is taken as one pill per day. PrEP stops HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. When taken daily, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV. PrEP is much less effective when it is not taken consistently.

Question 7

Why do we have to time condomless sex if U=U?

Accepted Answer

The reason for this is NOT to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by reducing the number of times you have sex without a condom. Instead, the CHPPG recommends timing condomless sex with peak fertility because that will increase the chances of conception (getting pregnant).  The timing of sex has to be around the time of ovulation or else pregnancy will not happen.

Question 8

How do I figure out when I’m ovulating and why do I have to time it?

Accepted Answer

There are a number of ways you can monitor when you are ovulating.  We have created a great resource that you can easily download and print (see this great OVULATION 101 Tool).

Question 9

Do we have to time ovulation?

Accepted Answer

No.  Timing ovulation is a personal choice, but it may increase your chance of conceiving. Some people find this stressful and just like the idea of ‘seeing what happens’.  If that is what you prefer or believe in, you don’t need to time ovulation when you first start trying.  Over time, it may be recommended if you have not conceived. In individual cases, timing ovulation may be recommended.  It is always best to speak to a healthcare provider about your plans to try and conceive before starting to make sure you can make an informed decision about things like whether or not to time ovulation.

Question 10

What’s the likelihood I’ll get pregnant?

Accepted Answer

The likelihood of getting pregnant varies from person to person.  What is important to know is that getting pregnant usually takes time.  Even timing condomless sex with peak fertility (ovulation) doesn’t guarantee you will become pregnant. Even for a person with ‘typical’ fertility it can sometimes take as long as one year of home-based methods to become pregnant. It is said that the approximate chance of getting pregnant for each attempted cycle is approximately 10%.  If you have specific concerns about your chances of becoming pregnant speak to your healthcare professional.

Question 11

Should I/we go straight away to a fertility clinic when considering pregnancy?

Accepted Answer

Unless you are known to have previous infertility or a risk of having fertility issues, or you are single/in a relationship that might require a fertility clinic, it is not recommended that you go straight to a fertility clinic.  If you are concerned about your fertility, speak to a healthcare professional to see if a referral to a fertility expert is necessary.

Question 12

Should I go to a fertility clinic just to double check that I am fertile; what about for my partner?

Accepted Answer

No. As stated above, unless you (or your partner) are known to have previous infertility or a risk of having fertility issues, it is not recommended that you go straight to a fertility clinic.  If you are concerned about your fertility, speak to a healthcare professional to see if a referral to a fertility expert is necessary.

Question 13

How long should I try at home before going to a fertility clinic?

Accepted Answer

The general recommendation is that conception should be attempted for 12 months without success prior to fertility investigation. Working with experts across Canada, the CHPPG recommends referral to a gynecologist or fertility specialist after as little as 6 months of failed conception with home-based conception attempts. This is because some studies have suggested there may be a connection between HIV and infertility. More importantly, if you acquired HIV sexually, you may be at risk of infertility caused by other STIs in the past.  In some cases the CHPPG recommends referral sooner than 6 months if your healthcare provider suspects you may have decreased fertility. Age is also a very important consideration for the person intending pregnancy (e.g., a woman or trans man). It is generally recommended that people under 35 years of age who have no known risk factors try for 12 months, those over age 35 years but less than 40 years of age try for 6 months, and anyone over age 40 years be referred immediately, or 3 months after, initiating home-based conception attempts.

Question 14

How do I know if I am too old to get pregnant?

Accepted Answer

The chance of getting pregnant goes down with age and becomes less likely once people are in their early or mid 40s. However, there are cases of pregnancy even into one’s 50s. Therefore, it is a personal decision to decide when one is too old to try to get pregnant.  Trying does not mean you will be able to get pregnant. For the person planning to become pregnant, blood tests can be done to see if your body is still ovulating and if you can become pregnant.  You don’t necessarily need to see a fertility specialist for these tests. Speak to your healthcare professional about blood testing options. Note that some are covered by various forms of insurance and some you may have to pay for. For the person providing sperm (e.g., man or trans woman), age does not impact fertility the same way. If you have any concerns about the impact of your age on sperm quality, speak to your healthcare provider.  Most sperm testing does require referral to a fertility specialist.

Question 15

What options are there to parent if we are two men or I am a single man?

Accepted Answer

The good news is that there are plenty of options.  Options that other GBTQ+ men and single men have used are: Raising foster children or adoption.  For people living with HIV domestic adoption is the best option.  However, international adoption of family members may be possible. For more about adoption, see ‘ADOPTION’ on page 108 of the CHPPG. Various forms of surrogacy are possible also. Surrogacy is when a person carries a pregnancy for another person or couple.  Sometimes the egg(s) come from the pregnant person and other times they are donor egg(s).  The sperm would be provided by you or your partner.  Surrogacy is possible for men living with HIV in Canada.  Because of the different options, if you are interested in surrogacy it is recommended that you speak to a fertility specialist and a surrogacy agency to learn more. Co-parenting (a planned, platonic parenting relationship).  This would involve conceiving a biological child to parent with someone that you are not in an intimate relationship with.  Decisions around conception would be based on the preference of the co-parents and should be based on the viral load of the person living with HIV (if applicable as in cases of two men, an HIV-negative partner may decide to be the biological parent).  Canada is recognized as a very inclusive country for multi-parented families. Based on Children’s Law Reform Act, up to 4 parents can be listed on a birth certificate if a pre-conception parentage agreement is in place.  If you are considering co-parenting in this way, you may want to speak to a lawyer before trying to conceive.

Question 16

What are my options if we are two women or I am a single woman?

Accepted Answer

The good news is that there are plenty of options.  Common options that other LGBTQ+ women and single women have used are: Raising foster children or adoption.  For people living with HIV domestic adoption is the best option.  Also, international adoption of family members is another option. For more about adoption, see ‘ADOPTION’ on page 108 of the CHPPG. Insemination with donor sperm. Donor inseminations are performed using either anonymous donor sperm from a bank, or sperm from a known individual of your choosing. This can be done using a home-based method or in a fertility clinic.  Donor sperm from a sperm bank costs money as do some fertility treatments if needed.  To learn more about donor sperm and insemination speak to your healthcare professional. Reciprocal IVF (i.e., in vitro fertilization) (for lesbian couples; one partner carries the pregnancy, the other is the egg donor). Co-parenting (a planned, platonic parenting relationship).  This would involve conceiving a biological child to parent with someone that you are not in an intimate relationship with.  Decisions around conception would be based on the preference of the co-parents and should be based on the viral load of the person living with HIV (if applicable an HIV-negative partner may decide to be the biological parent).  Canada is recognized as a very inclusive country for multi-parented families. Based on Children’s Law Reform Act, up to 4 parents can be listed on a birth certificate if a pre-conception parentage agreement is in place.  If you are considering co-parenting in this way, you may want to speak to a lawyer before trying to conceive.

Question 17

Does having HIV affect my chances of getting pregnant?

Accepted Answer

Infertility does affect about 10 percent of the general population, and people with HIV might be at higher risk of infertility. The reasons for this are not clear but might include previous genital tract infections from STIs and HIV may cause sperm problems. If you have had previous STIs or a specific concern about your chances of becoming pregnant speak to your healthcare professional.