Table of Contents
- The Issue
- Breaking News
- Articles and Fact Sheets
- Conference Posters and Discussions
- Reports and Resources
- Breast/Chestfeeding Infographics
- Personal Stories
- Videos, Podcasts, and Presentations
- Order Materials
- En español
The Issue
Breastfeeding while taking HIV drugs is the standard of care for women and other parents living with HIV in resource-limited areas of the world. It has been shown to increase survival and well-being of their babies, and the risk of HIV transmission with this method is extremely low. However, in high-resource settings like the United States and Canada, general HIV and public health guidelines have historically discouraged breastfeeding among women living with HIV.
A significant change occurred in early 2023 when the US Perinatal HIV Clinical Guidelines – which inform healthcare providers in their engagements specifically related to pregnancy, infant care, and HIV – were rigorously updated to reflect current knowledge about HIV transmission through breast milk; discuss benefits of breast/chestfeeding; and encourage informed, shared infant-feeding decision-making for women and other birthing parents living with HIV.
Read more about changes to the guidelines and The Well Project's involvement
Over the past several years, The Well Project has created and curated many articles, events, and other resources to provide access to a range of information, based on research findings and expert experience, than can support parents living with HIV in their infant-feeding decision making. Below is a list of our resources on this topic, which we will continue to add to as they are developed. We recognize and are responding to the need for programming to advance research, policy, and educational resources for women and other parents living with HIV and the providers, professionals, and others who care for them.
Browse this collection of materials curated for health professionals
BEEEBAH (Building Equity, Ethics, and Education on Breastfeeding and HIV) is a comprehensive, multi-tiered three-year project expanding upon The Well Project’s efforts to increase knowledge and access to information around breast/chestfeeding and HIV.
LEARN MORE & CHECK PAGE OFTEN FOR BEEEBAH UPDATES!
Breaking News
- The Well Project Welcomes Pediatric Guideline Updates on Infant Feeding and HIV in the US (May 23, 2024)
- US pediatricians reverse decades-old advice against HIV-positive mothers breastfeeding (The Associated Press)
- The Well Project Applauds Updates to Perinatal HIV Clinical Guidelines around Breast/Chestfeeding for Women and Other Birthing Parents Living with HIV (January 31, 2023)
Articles and Fact Sheets
- Patient Perspective by Ciarra Covin Published in the Journal HIV Research and Clinical Practice (journal article)
- The Well Project at the 2023 Motown Experience: Birth & Breastfeeding Conference (perspective piece)
- Infant Feeding: How Updated Guidelines Help Parents Living with HIV (article)
- NEWLY UPDATED! HIV Treatment Guidelines for Pregnant People and Their Infants (fact sheet)
- Can I Breastfeed While Living With HIV? (fact sheet)
- Overview of Infant Feeding Options for Parents Living with HIV (fact sheet)
Conference Posters and Discussions
- Updated Infant Feeding Recommendations for US Parents Living with HIV: Empowering Patient/Provider Partnership & Communication (PDF) (session poster at the 2024 National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care & Treatment)
- Understanding Breast Milk Through an HIV Lens: A Recap from CROI 2024 (summary of research conference poster session)
- Listening to Women: Supporting Informed Decision-Making on Infant Feeding and HIV (session poster at the International Workshop on HIV & Women 2023)
- Breastfeeding & HIV in the US and Canada: Centering Women's Lived Experiences Into the Clinical, Research and Policy Discussion (virtual conference presentation)
- We need to talk about breastfeeding and HIV (panel discussion led by ViiV Healthcare and featuring Ci Ci Covin, Program Coordinator for The Well Project)
- Breastfeeding and HIV in the Era of U=U: Highlights from a Growing Discussion (conference workshop summary)
- Conversations at Adherence 2019: Advancing Discussions of Infant Feeding Choices in the U=U Era (perspectives article)
- The Well Project at Adherence 2019 (session poster)
The Expert Consensus Statement on Breastfeeding and HIV in the United States and Canada affirms the agency of women and parents living with HIV – and the urgency of including them at all levels in HIV research, education, and policy.
Reports and Resources
- The Well Project Survey Reveals Dramatic Shift in Provider Support of Breast/Chestfeeding After 2023 HIV Guideline Updates (report of survey findings, including shareable infographics)
- BEEEBAH Resource Group- a Home For Breast/Chestfeeding Parents Living with HIV (private Facebook group)
- Resources to Talk to Your Provider about Breastfeeding and HIV (discussion guide)
- Expert Consensus Statement on Breastfeeding and HIV in the United States and Canada (statement with background and sign-on form)
- Women and HIV Infant-Feeding Resources Compiled by The Well Project
- List of US-Based Providers who Support Informed Infant Feeding Choices for Parents with HIV (fill out the form in this article if you believe your practice/organization belongs on this list)
- WRI 2018 - Undetectable=Untransmittable: Contextualizing a Campaign in the Lives of Women Living with and Vulnerable to HIV (annual research meeting report)
Interested in engaging in conversation or sharing insights or updates related to HIV and infant feeding (including breast/chestfeeding)? Email oford@thewellproject.org to be added to the growing HIV and Infant Feeding listserv!
Breast/Chestfeeding Infographics
Click the images below to save and share as jpeg images
Personal Stories
- Spotlight on Heather O'Connor: My Journey with Breastfeeding and HIV
- Liquid Gold (Part 1)
- Gold-ish Liquid (Part 2)
- Ashley's Story - An Informed Journey Toward Breastfeeding
Videos, Podcasts, and Presentations
- It's Time to Embrace Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding for US People With HIV (episode of The Future of HIV Care, a monthly podcast from TheBodyPro)
- Ciarra "Ci Ci" Covin on HIV Stigma: People Living with HIV Are Still Human, with the Same Desires (episode of the podcast Everybody Hates Me: Let's Talk About Stigma)
- Updates to the Perinatal HIV Clinical Guidelines! (expert discussion featuring Ciarra "Ci Ci" Covin and Lealah Pollock, MD, MS, of University of California, San Francisco)
- Perinatal HIV Roundtables (annual panel discussions, copresented in 2022 and 2023 by The Well Project and the National Perinatal HIV Hotline)
- Breastfeeding, HIV, and Criminalization: Legal Considerations from a US Attorney (expert conversation featuring Ciarra "Ci Ci" Covin and longtime attorney Catherine Hanssens of The Center for HIV Law and Policy)
- Breast/Chestfeeding and HIV in the US: A Listening Session with National Advocates (webinar in honor of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day featuring women leaders from US-based organizations providing advocacy updates related to infant feeding and HIV)
- The Big Picture: Health Implications and Bioethical Considerations of Breastfeeding and HIV (expert conversation featuring Ciarra "Ci Ci" Covin and Marielle Gross, MD, MBE, of the university of Pittsburgh and Johns Hopkins)
- Breastfeeding and HIV: Viewpoints from an Adult and Pediatric Provider (expert conversation featuring Ciarra "Ci Ci" Covin and Allison Agwu, MD, of Johns Hopkins) (see video below)
- Breastfeeding and HIV in the U=U Era: Advancing Conversation and Community Awareness (webinar discussion on the intersection of HIV, infant feeding, and criminalization)
- A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 6: Breastfeeding and HIV with Ciarra "Ci Ci" Covin and Heather O'Connor
- Breastfeeding and HIV: What We Know and Considerations for Informed Choices (December 2018 webinar)
Order Materials
"Get the Facts on Breast/Chestfeeding and HIV" Pamphlet: Get key facts about breast/chestfeeding and HIV at your fingertips! From snapshots of the latest research and current guidelines to a direct link for support in talking with providers about infant feeding, this pocket-sized folding pamphlet packs vital information into an attractive, readable format. The pamphlet is a helpful resource to share at conferences and community events, in clinic waiting rooms – anywhere women and other potential parents living with HIV are served.
Click the image above to save as a jpeg or share online; or download a printable pdf of this resource
FILL OUT THIS FORM TO HAVE FREE COPIES OF THIS PAMPHLET SHIPPED TO YOUR ORGANIZATION OR PRACTICE!
En español
- Directrices de tratamiento del VIH para personas en estado de embarazo y sus bebés (hoja informativa)
- ¿Puedo dar pecho mientras vivo con VIH? (hoja informativa)
- Información general sobre las opciones de alimentación infantil para padres viviendo con VIH (hoja informativa)
- "Conozca los hecho sobre la lactancia materna/dar el pecho y el VIH" (folleto)
Haga clic en la imagen de arriba para guardarla como jpeg o compartirla en línea; o descargue un pdf imprimible de este recurso
