Breastfeeding with HIV infection

Australasian Society for Infections Diseases (ASID), 2022

If a person with HIV infection considers breastfeeding (also known as chestfeeding) the baby, advise them that formula feeding is the safest choice to minimise HIV transmission. However, issues such as affordable and safe access to formula should also be considered and an approach based on shared decision making should be adopted. If a person with HIV infection requests to breastfeed a baby, they should receive supportive, individualised counselling to ensure a transmission risk reduction approach is adopted. Seek expert advice and see the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM) breastfeeding guidance document for more information.