Question
I’m undetectable, can i transmit HIV through oral sex?
13 November 2015. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, HIV transmission.
I met a guy few days ago and we had oral sex with out condom, we have kissed a lot. I’ve been undetectable over for 2 years, just worried about him.
Answer
Hi,
This person will not have become positive. The risk of passing on HIV to someone with an undetectable viral load is extremely low – close to zero. We know this because of a study called PARTNER. It looked at the risk of transmission between couples where one partner was positive and the other negative. The sex was without condoms and the positive partner had an undetectable viral load. The people on the study had condomless sex over 44,500 times and not a single person became positive. The study also included gay couples.
You can find information about PARTNER on our website.
Oral sex is generally is very low risk of transmission, in most situations this is close to zero. This is even without HIV treatment. Because you are undetectable there is even less risk.
You can find information about oral sex and HIV transmission in our guide.
Hi Discreet, as you are undetectable there is no risk to your husband. Even with these small cuts, your treatment means you cannot pass on HIV. While it is still recommended to have regular HIV testing to be aware of your status, this incident does not increase your husbands risk of HIV.
So my husband and I have been together for 10 yrs & almost 5 yrs married I’m undetectable he’s negative. We had rough sex and he had a cut on his penis we had sex again will he be safe from catching hiv? It just always worries me no matter what. he just got tested not too long ago and is still negative but the cut? Is he okay? Should he get retested again ? And if so when?
Hi JustC – your undetectable viral load will pretect your partner from all types of sex. Him giving you oral sex is a much lower risk than penetrative sex without a condom – where an undetectable viral load makes this risk zero too. Please do not worry, however much fluid there is :)
How to talk about HIV is a more difficult question though. Perhaps find out how he feels about this without talking about yourself. Do you both know about U=U?
http://i-base.info
Either way, you might have to be the one who provide up to date info.
Is there a chance he might also be positive?
Hi there. I have been on ART for over 6months and my results came back undetectable. I have been planning to see this guy but the last time we were together he was very keen on having oral sex with me.
All the research I’ve done pertaining oral seem to focus on blowjobs. I know the risk is small to none when undetectable. My concern is that as a women with our fluids being much more prominent during oral, will the risk still be as low for him?
Any advice on how to talk to him about safety? Not very sure he would want to used Prep.
Hi Luis,
You’re undetectable, therefore you can’t transmit HIV, please see here:
https://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
Hello I’m so scared. I’m a undetectable hiv + guy since two years ago but I had unprotected sex with a – boy I didn’t want to had sex but I was drunk and he penetrated me we had deep kissing Now I’m so worried and scare that I might pass it to him
Hi Reboud,
If your viral load is undetectable you can’t transmit HIV through sex, be this oral or penetrative. And yes, this includes even if there is blood.
I was undetected for 2 years now. I gave an oral sex to a random guy but suddenly i didnt noticed my throat bleed unexpectedly during blow job. I was worried if it might cause a transmission since my thoat was bleeding while giving him a blow job. :(
Hi Veronica,
I’m sorry, it sounds like this has been a horrible time. But your nurse is correct. And his doctor is wrong.
Hundreds of HIV organisations, including the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), now support the statement that HIV transmission does not occur when viral load is undetectable on ART. You can read all about 20 years of evidence that Undetectable = Untransmittable here.
I hope this makes you less stressed Veronica. Best wishes.
I’m HIV positive for 3years now my viral load was always undetectable so last week I met a guy and I didn’t tell him about my status because I told myself that I won’t have sex with him so he forced himself cz I kept telling him that I don’t want to sleep with him so I tightened my thighs so that he doesn’t get to my vigina and his penis was below my vigina so I told him now he says I infected him I should have told him that I have HIV I went to my clinic and told them what happened the nurse said ts not possible because my virus is suppressed but he says his doctor said there’s a chance that I infected him so now I’m stresses I don’t know what to believe