HIV positive and pregnant

First, let me make it known this DOES NOT pertain to me LoL

I was watching a show on Discovery about a woman that was HIV positive and pregnant with her 2nd child. Here's my question though: it's my understanding that if someone with HIV has sex with someone else and does not tell them they have it, they can face jail time if the other person gets it ... correct?
So if a mother has it and has children, how does that work? It's just okay? What if the baby gets it and now has a life threatening illness?
Do you think it's selfish of the mother to have children?

Yes you can be charged with manslaughter if you do not tell someone you have AIDS.

If I am not mistaken, you can typically take something during pregnancy to greatly reduce the risk of the child being HIV postive.

Yes, I think it's irresponsbile to have a child if you're HIV positive.

Children can often 'shed' the virus that was contracted with medications.

I think it's irresponsible, but I think a lot of things are irresponsible - that doesn't mean they should all be incidents worth facing charges.

I'm pretty sure they give the babies HIV meds which can lower their risk factors until they can have a test done.

Quoting K2 Mom:" First, let me make it known this DOES NOT pertain to me LoL I was watching a show on Discovery about ... [snip!] ... What if the baby gets it and now has a life threatening illness? Do you think it's selfish of the mother to have children?"

i was under the impression that if you have it, they will do a c-section so that the baby doesn't get it. you can't get it by being in the womb because your blood doesn't mix. it's just going through the birth canal.

or at east, that's what i remember reading about it.

Quoting MommaNoodle:" i was under the impression that if you have it, they will do a c-section so that the baby doesn't get ... [snip!] ... because your blood doesn't mix. it's just going through the birth canal. or at east, that's what i remember reading about it."

A mama in this thread gave some good info if anyone is interested in reading
http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about2276468.html

In the show, neither kid ended up contracting it, thank god. She took meds during the pregnancy and did have a C-section. They said there's still a chance though due to the blood going through the cord.

Yes and no. If someone doesn't know they have it and spread it they can't be charged. If they go around sleeping with people knowing they have it and don't disclose it there are some ways around the legal system and could get them charged, but you can't just bring up someone's hiv status in court because or privacy laws.

They have meds that can lower your risk of passing it on to your child.

I personally would get fixed if I ever got hiv. I have hpv and it freaks me out worrying that my baby will get it even though the ob said I can't give it to him.

There are drugs that can prevent the transmittion from mother to child in most cases.
Laws vary depending on where you live with regards to exposing partners to disease. Also, they will likely be changing now that a person can have HIV and live a healthy life for 20-30 years with the proper medication and lifestyle.

Quoting LEGENDARY BOOBS:" A mama in this thread gave some good info if anyone is interested in reading http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about2276468.html"

interesting. i had no idea about the medication to lower the risk during pregnancy. that's cool!

Quoting MommaNoodle:" interesting. i had no idea about the medication to lower the risk during pregnancy. that's cool!"

Neither did I, which is why I thought it'd be good to share with other people. I honestly didn't know much about HIV besides it is a sexual transmitted disease that can turn into AIDS  

Quoting LEGENDARY BOOBS:" Neither did I, which is why I thought it'd be good to share with other people. I honestly didn't know much about HIV besides it is a sexual transmitted disease that can turn into AIDS  "

It's definitely cool that they have meds now to help with it. I just don't know if I could take the chance of passing it to my baby.

Quoting LEGENDARY BOOBS:" Neither did I, which is why I thought it'd be good to share with other people. I honestly didn't know much about HIV besides it is a sexual transmitted disease that can turn into AIDS  "

yeah, i just know all the crap they teach you in high school sex ed or whatever. lol. and that was over 10 years ago

Quoting K2 Mom:" It's definitely cool that they have meds now to help with it. I just don't know if I could take the chance of passing it to my baby."

I'm not sure that I would do that either but I can't really say with 100% certainty because I haven't been put in that position or anything remotely similar to it, in my entire life.