Question
I’ve just resently started treatment, is my partner at risk?
18 December 2018. Related: All topics, HIV transmission.
I’ve been dating a guy for 4 year and I’m HIV positive. We’ve never used a condom and he’s circumcised. Is it possible that he could still have contracted HIV from me? I’ve just resently started medication, this was because I’m pregnant.
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch.
If you’ve been having sex without a condom when you weren’t on treatment there is a risk that your partner is HIV positive. Therefore, he is going to need to test. This is important for this own health.
If his test result is negative, this is great. However, until your viral load is undetectable you’re going to need to use condoms because there is a risk of transmission, this is even if your partner is circumcised.
Hi T, from the detail in your post, your wife is really likely to still be HIV negative. Her symptoms are much more likely to be malaria or flu.Your viral load will have been dramatically lower from treatment and you didn’t ejaculate. I am sure this will all be ok.
I av been on treatment for 6month now d Name of d drug is cipla, I have Neva missed taking it since I was diagnosed six months ago my cd4 was above 1000 wen my result came back four months ago, I don’t kwn my viral load because I was told by my doctor dat my viral load will b checked at six month of treatment. My problem now is I am married and we are practicing safe sex using condoms but on d 6th of last month d condom broke while we are having sex I notice immediately and withdrew and asked my wife to go and wash her self even thou I didn’t release my sparm but I believe der might be small amount of pre cum dat might av been collected in d condom so she did. But 4th of dis month she came down with flu, joint ache,redness of d eye,rashes and malaria am scared dat i might have infected her with d virus.i tot hiv should be undetectable after three months of treatment what are ur advise on wat to do now am confused.
Hi Flora,
Info about starting meds can be found here: http://i-base.info/guides/starting
Hey, I just started today to take my advice, how long does it take to the tablets to give the site effects
Hi Eunice,
That’s well above the average adult CD4 count.
A new born baby can have CD4 count around 2,000 to 3,000. But have you checked with the clinic that they’ve given you the correct result?
Do you have access to your CD4 percentage and your viral load results? And what HIV meds are you taking.
I am positive and my cd4 count is 2894 is it normal or abnormal?
Hi Farida,
HIV treatment can dramatically reduce viral load by about 90% in the first few days. But how long it takes each of us to get to undetectable can rely on various factors. These are factors such as how high your viral load was when you started, and what HIV meds you are taking.
Guidelines here in the UK for how long you need to be undetectable before you can stop using condoms is 6 months. But this is likely to be cautious because it’s based on little data. Please see this Q&A. So these guidelines might easily change in the future.
Do you have access to you viral load results? What was it when you started treatment? And what meds are you taking?
When I was diagnosed HIV positive my partner was negative I just started medications due to my unborn child… We are currently using condoms during intercourse for how long will we use condoms… Because am not also happy about that? How long can I take medicine for my viral to be undetectable? Also will I give birth through vaginal process??Will I breastfed my baby?
Hi Shalane,
Yes that’s right, not-detected means undetectable. Having an undetectable viral load means it is less than 50 copies/mL.
Are you on HIV treatment? What meds are you taking?
I tested HIV positive what does not-detected means is it the same undetected