Many HIV positive women give birth to healthy babies who are HIV negative. If you take HIV medication as prescribed by a doctor, your baby has less than a 2% (2 in 100) chance of becoming infected. Without medication this chance increases to about 25% (25 in100).
There is no way to know for sure if your baby will be born with HIV. Women with higher viral loads are more likely to give birth to babies infected with HIV but no viral load is low enough to ensure a baby will not become HIV positive. Following prescribed drug therapy treatment may help prevent the spread of HIV to the fetus.
A vaginal birth is still recommended for mother and baby, but some doctors and health practitioners may recommend a woman deliver by caesarean section if her viral load puts the baby at greater risk. It is important to keep in mind however that having a caesarean section may not make a difference since in some cases the fetus may have already been infected with HIV before its birth.