I have had a niggling concern for a while. We all know that HIV transmission occurs from exchange of bodily fluids. Now if one is counselling a breastfeeding mother who has a sexual partner(s) who engages in behaviour that could transmit the HIV virus (and many women do have such partners), what recommendations should be made to her in respect to the advisability of breastfeeding? Not to mention that not all women know when their partners are engaging in risky behaviour. My guess is that transmission of HIV to a breastfeeding infant due to postpartum sexual contact between the mother and her HIV-infected partner is not very common. But how frequently does it occur? Should recommendations vary depending on the geographic locale (i.e. a high prevalence of HIV infection)? Lois Patterson [log in to unmask]