Bodybuilders 'could get HIV from drinking human breast milk'

Bodybuilders and cancer patients are putting themselves at risk of contracting HIV and syphilis by buying human breast milk over the internet, health experts have warned.

Dozens of websites now sell breast milk claiming that it is a super food which provides energy, nutrients and can even help with erectile dysfunction and cancer.

However, writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Dr Sarah Steele of Queen Mary University has warned that the benefits do not stand up clinically and raw human milk purchased online or in an unpasteurised state poses many risks.

“Nutritionally there is less protein in breast milk than other milks like cow’s milk,” said Dr Steele.

“Potential buyers should be made aware that no scientific study evidences that direct adult consumption of human milk for medicinal properties offers anything more than a placebo effect.”

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And she warns that human milk is potentially very hazardous if used to replace a healthy balanced diet.

Failure of women to sanitise properly when expressing milk, the failure to sterilise equipment properly, and the improper or prolonged storage and transportation of milk can expose consumers to bacterial food-borne illnesses like any other raw milk.

And because breast milk is not screened, buyers could be exposed to infectious diseases including hepatitis, HIV and syphilis.

“While many online mums claim they have been tested for viruses during pregnancy, many do not realise that serological screening needs to be undertaken regularly,” said Dr Steele.

“Sexual and other activities in the postpartum period may expose the woman expressing to viruses that they may unwittingly pass on to consumers of the milk.”

The authors call for health professionals and regulators to issue public guidance against the purchasing of human milk from Internet sources for adult as well as infant feeding.

Purchasing human breast milk on the internet can be cheaper than buying from regulated milk banks, where it can cost up to £2 per ounce, because sellers can cut corners to save on costs.

But a recent study of breast milk purchased online showed that only 9 nine out of 101 samples did not have bacterial growth.

Healthcare workers should be offered training on the online market so they can provide good advice and offer safe alternatives to new mothers, especially those who experience problems or are unable to breastfeed, argue the researchers.

Advice on best practice, including storage and use of expressed milk should also be given.

They also call for professional bodies, institutions and trusts to provide accurate information, advice and guidance, and legal regulation to enforce the safe collection, processing and shipping of human breast milk.

Legal regulation should also punish those who contaminate milk for profit and to ensure that mothers are protected against exploitation, the authors add.