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
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