If My Associate Is HIV Optimistic, How Can I Shield Myself?

Not way back, it was frequent for homosexual and bisexual males and others at excessive danger for human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, to interact in “serosorting,” or selecting a romantic accomplice based mostly on shared HIV standing. “Somebody who was HIV optimistic needed to dwell in concern that they’d infect their accomplice,” says Richard Greene, M.D., an HIV researcher and affiliate professor of medication on the New York College Faculty of Drugs. In the meantime, HIV-negative people needed to belief that their accomplice was being trustworthy about their HIV standing.

However a lot of that’s up to now, Greene says. Due to developments in HIV therapy, serodiscordant {couples} can have intercourse with out danger of transmitting HIV. Whereas certainly one of these medication is for HIV-negative people, the opposite is for many who have HIV.

Pre-Publicity Prophylaxis (PrEP)

PrEP is a prescription drug that comprises two antiviral medicines used to deal with HIV. “PrEP is one capsule, as soon as a day, that somebody who’s HIV-negative can take to guard themselves from transmission,” Dr. Greene says.

Whereas PrEP isn’t a assure, it does decrease the chance of transmission by as much as 92 %, in accordance with the CDC. When mixed with condoms, the chance of HIV transmission drops virtually to zero, Dr. Greene says.

He says insurance coverage sometimes covers the price of PrEP for folks at excessive danger for HIV, which incorporates these in a sexual relationship with an HIV-positive accomplice. “It’s not safety in opposition to every other STDs,” Greene provides. (A condom remains to be the perfect safety in opposition to gonorrhea, chlamydia, and different sexually transmitted illnesses.)

However in case you’re diligent about taking your PrEP capsule on daily basis, it’s an efficient approach to shield your self from HIV.

Antiretroviral Remedy (ART)

HIV is a sort of virus generally known as a “retrovirus.” And for the reason that Nineties, prescription antiretroviral therapies (ART) have helped these with HIV preserve the virus from progressing to AIDS.

However whereas ART has been round for many years, these antiviral medication have turn out to be far more practical, Dr. Greene says. Not solely can they permit somebody who’s HIV optimistic to dwell a standard, symptom-free life for many years, however they’ll additionally eradicate the chance that an HIV-positive particular person will transmit the virus to a accomplice or offspring, he says.

He mentions the U=U marketing campaign, which stands for “undetectable equals untransmissible.” In the course of the previous decade, three landmark research have proven that HIV-positive people on ART who’ve an “undetectable viral load” can not transmit the virus to a accomplice.

“These research adopted {couples} for years and located no incidence of transmission,” Dr. Greene says. He factors out that, simply final 12 months, the CDC backed each these findings and the U=U marketing campaign. “We used to have these stigmas about what it means to have HIV within the physique, and all that’s altering,” he says.

To be clear, somebody who’s HIV optimistic should be on ART meds and displaying an undetectable viral load for no less than six months earlier than they’ll safely have intercourse with out concern of transmission, Dr. Greene says. He explains that viral load is measured each three months by way of a blood take a look at, and that present ART therapies are normally a single prescription capsule taken as soon as a day.

The Backside-Line for {Couples}

If one accomplice has HIV, ART and PrEP enable each folks within the relationship to take steps to safeguard the HIV-negative particular person’s well being standing. “Now somebody who’s HIV optimistic not has to dwell in concern that they’re going to move this virus on,” Dr. Greene says.