Man risked his life by having unprotected sex with an HIV positive partner so they can have a baby

An HIV-positive mother whose boyfriend risked her life to start a family says they are proof that you can live a normal life with the disease.

Sasha Goodman was diagnosed with HIV when she was five years old.

After she could not get rid of a chickenpox, the doctors did a series of tests and found that she had contracted HIV from her mother in the womb.

She was forced to leave school because of assaults and after her mother's death for AIDS, Sasha's life began to get out of control.

But after meeting partner Jay Hart, 32, seven years ago, the 30-year-old actress was surprised when he was not intimidated by the HIV diagnosis and since then the couple has had a child.

A mother of two – who has had a child before meeting Jay – has chosen not to identify her children, but said her entire family is HIV negative since she did not transmit the disease to Jay or her children.

Milton Keynes's full-time mother and HIV activist said, "I never thought I would be a mother, I was petrified of having a boyfriend because I did not want to infect anyone.

"When I first met Jay, seven years ago, at the pub, I already had my eldest son that I knew had no HIV.

"I fell completely in love with Jay, but I was afraid he would reject me when I found out.

"He handled it so well, and we used a condom to make sure he was safe while he helped me to accept that I had HIV."

When it came to starting a family, the couple sought medical help.

Sasha's HIV is treated with antiretroviral medication, which works by preventing the replication of the virus in the body.

The drugs allow the immune system to repair itself and avoid further damage.

I fell completely in love with Jay, but I was afraid he would reject me as soon as I found out

Sasha Goodman

As a result of her treatment, the amount of HIV in Sasha's blood – her viral load – is considered low.

The lower a person's viral load, the lower the likelihood of transmitting HIV to a sexual partner.

It meant that although there was a small risk, Jay could get Sasha's HIV when he tried to get pregnant, it was too small.

Sasha now has two children ages 12 and 5, one with Jay, and said they could not be happier.

She is talking to try to break the stigma surrounding the disease.

"People can not believe when I say that I was born with the disease," she said.

"Because of the stigma surrounding it, people assume that you have caught HIV through unprotected sex.

"When I was a teenager, I told a friend that I was HIV positive, and that she told me about my entire school, so I had no choice but to leave without taking the exams.

"During my adolescence I was always emotional and I feared that I would die because of the infection.

"I did not take my medication because it was just a constant reminder that I had HIV, but after losing my mother to AIDS, she pushed me to be an HIV advocate."

Sasha was diagnosed with HIV after struggling to get chicken pox at age five.

Doctors then discovered that the mother Sharon Goodman, 42, took the unprotected sex disease.

She said, "My mother was diagnosed after I was like the doctors knew I should have gotten it before I was born because of my young age.

"It is believed that she caught the disease by not being unprotected during sex at some point in her life.

"I had a difficult childhood and was raised by my grandparents, Jean and Bill Goodman, who have since died.

"After staying in bed for two years with the terrible side effects of HIV, I had to learn to walk again with the feeding tube. I lost everything.

"I remember fighting when my grandparents tried to give me the medication because I was just a child who never understood the disease was a threat to life."

The National Aids Trust claims that 97 percent of people living with HIV who are being treated are virally suppressed – meaning they can not transmit the virus.

However, HIV is known to attack the immune system and those who contract the disease are more likely to be severely affected by common diseases such as influenza.

Sasha added, "The best thing I've ever done is get support and now I'm lucky to help other people who are suffering in silence while refusing to take their pills.

"It is a slow suicide because they are so afraid of other people finding out, but HIV is actually very manageable, there is no reason for someone else not to lead a normal life.

"No one in my family has HIV, even though Jay and I have had unprotected sex to start a family, which is something that fascinates some people because they seem to find it highly contagious."