What if I am negative and my partner is HIV-positive?

If a woman is HIV-negative and her partner is HIV-positive, there is no risk of perinatal transmission to the baby. However, pregnant women are at an increased risk for HIV infection and a woman who becomes HIV-positive while pregnant has a greater chance of transmitting the virus to her baby. HIV-negative women with HIV-positive sex partners should seek counseling on the multiple measures that can be taken to prevent her from becoming infected, including ensuring her partner treats his virus with pills, taking pills called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and consistently using condoms with each episode of intercourse. Because of the ongoing risk of HIV infection, all women in Illinois are required to be counseled and offered an HIV test both at the initial prenatal visit and again in their third trimester of pregnancy.