A MAN who refused to let his partner's HIV get in the way of his dream of becoming a dad is helping raise awareness that people with the disease can live normal, healthy lives.

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

4 Sasha Goodman was terrified she would infect Jay Hart with HIV, but her treatment means that Jay and both her kids are HIV negative

After she failed to shake off a bout of chicken pox, doctors ran a series of tests and discovered she had contracted HIV from her mum in the womb.

She was forced to leave school due to bullies and following the death of her mum to Aids, Sasha’s life began to spiral out of control.

But after meeting partner Jay Hart, 32, seven years ago, the 30-year-old was surprised when he wasn't fazed by her HIV diagnosis and the pair have since had a child.

Mum-of-two Sasha - who already had one child before meeting Jay - has chosen not to identify her kids but said her entire family are HIV negative as she has not passed on the disease to Jay or her children.

4 Sasha was diagnosed with HIV at the age of five, when doctors discovered her mum had unknowingly passed it on in the womb

The full time mum and HIV activist, from Milton Keynes said: “I never thought I would ever be a mum, I was petrified to have a boyfriend as I didn’t want to infect anyone.

“When I met Jay seven years ago in the pub, I did already have my eldest son who I knew didn't have HIV.

"I fell completely head over heels in love with Jay but I was scared he might reject me once he found out.

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

4 Sasha's two children are HIV negative, as is Jay - thanks to antiretroviral drugs that she takes

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

Sasha's HIV is treated with antiretroviral medication, which works by stopping the virus replicating in the body.

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

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 less likely they are to pass on HIV to a sexual partner.

I fell completely head over heels in love with Jay but I was scared he might reject me once he found out Sasha Goodman

She added: "Due to being on the medication the amount of HIV in my blood count was low which meant that although there was a risk Jay would get HIV from me when we tried for a child, it was very small."

Ian Green, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, told The Sun if someone like Sasha, living with HIV, is on effective treatment they "can't pass the virus on".

"We now have all the evidence we need to say someone living with HIV and on effective treatment can't pass the virus on.

"Not won't or might - but can't. That's because HIV medication works by reducing the amount of the virus in the blood to 'undetectable' levels.

"This means the levels of HIV are so low that the virus cannot be passed on.

"Sasha's story is an inspiring one that clearly shows this incredible progress in action.

"Because she's on effective treatment both her boyfriend Jay and her two children - as well as other interventions during pregnancy and birth - are HIV free."

Sasha now has two children aged 12 and five, one with Jay, and said they couldn't be happier.

4 The mum-of-two is speaking out to raise awareness of the disease, and breakdown some of the stigma that surrounds it

She is speaking out to try and break down the stigma surrounding the disease.

"People can’t believe it when I tell them I was born with the disease," she said.

"Due to the stigma around it, people assume you've caught HIV through unprotected sex.

“When I was a teenager, I told one friend I had HIV, who then told my whole school, so I had no choice but to leave without taking my exams.

“During my teens I was always emotional and feared I was going to die from the infection.

“I didn’t take my medication as it was just a constant reminder I had HIV, but after losing my mum to Aids it pushed me to be a HIV advocate."

Mr Green, from the Terrence Higgins Trust, back Sasha's step to raise awareness.

He told The Sun: "There is absolutely no reason people on effective HIV treatment can't date, fall in love, have sex, work or have families just like anyone else.

"The story of Sasha and her family underlines that very clearly."

How does HIV treatment work? HIV treatment doesn't cure the disease, but stops the virus from reproducing in the body. Antiretrovirals can reduce the level of virus in a person's blood stream to undetectable levels. This means you cannot pass on HIV to a sexual partner. It's now recommended that everyone diagnosed with HIV starts treatment straight away. It used to be the case that doctors waited for a person's viral load - the amount of virus in their blood stream - to reach a certain level before treatment. But the groundbreaking START study showed the sooner therapy starts, the better. The aim of HIV treatment is to make a person's viral load so low it can't be detected by tests. When that happens, a person cannot pass on HIV and it can't damage their immune system. A large study called PARTNER looked at 888 gay and straight couples where one partner was HIV positive and the other was HIV negative. Results showed where the HIV positive partner was on treatment and had an undetecable viral load, there were no cases of HIV transmission via unprotected sex. To find out more, visit the Terrence Higgins Trust.

Sasha was diagnosed with HIV after she struggled to overcome chicken pox aged five.

Doctors then discovered mum Sharon Goodman, 42, had caught the disease from unprotected sex.

She said: "My mum was diagnosed after I was as doctors knew I must've caught it before being born due to my young age.

"It's thought she caught the disease through not being unprotected during sex at some point in her life.

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

“After being bed bound for two years with the horrific side effects of HIV, I had to learn how to walk again along with being tube fed. I missed out on everything.

“I remember putting up a fight when my grandparents would try and give me the medication as I was just a kid who never understood the disease was life threatening.”

The National Aids Trust states 97 per cent of people living with HIV who are on treatment are virally suppressed – meaning they can’t pass the virus on.

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

Sasha added: “The best thing I ever did was get support and I am now lucky to help other people who are suffering in silence while refusing to take their medication.

“It is a form of slow suicide because they are so scared of other people finding out, but actually HIV is very manageable, there is no reason for anyone with it to not lead a normal life.

"None of my family have HIV despite me and Jay having unprotected sex to start a family, this is something that fascinates some people as they seem to think it's highly contagious."

-A previous headline on this article suggested that Jay had risked his life in order to try for a baby with Sasha. In fact, as the article itself makes clear, Sasha's antiretroviral medication has reduced the amount of HIV in her blood to such low levels that the risk of her passing on the virus to a sexual partner is very small.