Question
My husband is undetectable, can he still infect me?
31 March 2011. Related: All topics, HIV transmission.
My husband tested HIV positive 3 1/2 years ago. He is on treatment and has been undetectable for the last 3 years. I tested negative at the time and have retested every year since and continue to be negative. We have used condoms for intercourse, but we would like to stop using them. What are the chances of my contracting the virus from him at this point if we did stop using condoms?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
The infectiousness of someone on stable treatment is an area that is being newly researched.There is some really interesting data suggesting that people on ARVs with stable undetectable viral loads are very unlikely to transmit HIV (1 in a 1000 chance). For more information you might find it useful to read this recent study or this similar question answered a few years ago. You may also find the Swiss Statement interesting as that states the risk of unprotected sex with someone on stable treatment and with an undetectable viral load for over 6 months as “negligible” and “similar to risks of daily life”.
Hi,
The risks of transmission in this situation are practically zero. Even without your partner on Truvada the risk of transmission is extremely low. Having had an uneducable viral load for a few months means this risk is close to zero. Your partner being on PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) adds another very effective layer of protection.
I am HIV Positive and am taking treatment. My viral load is undetectable and my partner is HIV negative.
can I infect him if he uses Truvada and we have unprotected sex?
Evidence suggests that the risk of someone with an undetectable viral load is much more rare that even the (1 in 1000) cited. There are of course factors which can increase the risk even in this setting. Occassionally,people on treatment experience “blips” where their viral load may rise over the undetectable
(< 40ppml). Though these episodes may be transient, if the circumstances are right, transmission at this time could possibly occur.