Pregnancy or breastfeeding do not place women at an increased risk of HIV-1 infection, according to the findings of a prospective study published in the May edition of AIDS. The study recommends that antenatal and postnatal programs must continue to emphasise condom use to protect both mother and baby from HIV infection. A team of US investigators addressed this issue by re-examining the data of a prospective study of hormonal contraception and HIV-1 acquisition in Ugandan and Zimbabwean women.