A couple expecting their first child have discovered that their child won’t inherit one disease from its dad. The father-to-be was born with HIV, but thanks to a series of medications, his disease is now undetectable. His wife is negative for the disease, and as a result, their baby will be born HIV-negative.
This is many years in the making, because over time, doctors have worked to make HIV undetectable. Because of this, it is reducing the number of parents passing the disease down to their children.
More from CafeMom: After 17 Doctors Couldn’t, Mom Diagnoses Son’s Illness With ChatGPT
This is a big deal.
Dad-to-be Joseph Kibler was born with HIV and has been fighting the disease his whole life. Kibler has a large social media following due to making content about his life with the disease and other medical issues. He told People he spent a lot of his childhood hiding his HIV status, which has been taboo over the last 40 years.
“When I started to do online content again, it was kind of like, OK, well, it’s hard for me to get very far through all the things I want to talk about without mentioning [my HIV status],” he told the outlet.
He has no problem being honest about his status.
“Once you mention that, you do kind of have a choice to make, because people are going to ask questions,” Kibler explained. “I got to a point where I wasn’t going to engage with somebody, or have relationships with anybody, or even friendships with people who didn’t know about my status, because it was it’s entwined with me.”
One of those people was his wife, Carey Cox, whom he met in 2020. Cox is HIV-negative, and as a result, there was a possibility their baby could be born HIV-negative.
More from CafeMom: My Kid Was Sick With a Mystery Illness for 3 Months & I Was Stunned When I Found Out Why
The dad shared the news with his followers.
Kibler explained, “I cannot transmit HIV to my partner or to a child,” because his disease is now undetectable. So when he and his wife announced the pregnancy on TikTok, sharing about his future child’s status was an important talking point.
“I was able to break a cycle and heal something I never thought I could,” Kibler wrote on the video.
People were thrilled by the news.
In the comments, people left well wishes for Kibler and Cox. Many pointed out what a huge deal it is to have a child who is HIV-negative when you have the disease.
“I’m not sure the younger gens are able to appreciate this in quite the same way those of us who lived through it,” someone wrote. “CONGRATULATIONS you did it.”
“Congratulations,” another commented. “This is amazing! My brother died of AIDS in 1986 and I am constantly in tears hearing these stories. It makes me so happy to see where we’ve come.”
Another commenter wrote: “Many, many blessings to you & your wife. My mother died of AIDS in 1995. I was 17, my sister 3 days shy of 13. This is news we never thought would be possible back then.”
“This is the world we all dreamed about as children when we watched the epidemic in the 80s,” someone else exclaimed. “My heart is so full for you!”
The couple are actually more worried about a different illness affecting their baby.
In addition to his HIV, the future dad also has cerebral palsy. But they’re more worried about another health issue his wife could potentially pass to their future child.
“I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which gives me chronic pain and joint issues and affects the way that I walk,” Cox told People. “Really, in our discussion of having a child — because you can pass on Ehlers-Danlos syndrome — that was more of a conversation than the possibility of HIV.” There isn’t a genetic test to know if the fetus will have the same type.
*Disclaimer: The advice on CafeMom.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
