Question
Can I have sex with someone who is positive and not catch HIV?
16 January 2018. Related: All topics, HIV transmission.
Answer
Yes, there are lots of ways to make sure HIV is not transmitted during sex.
- One of the easiest and most effective ways is just for the HIV positive partner to be on treatment. An undetectable viral load makes HIV untransmittable. (See: The evidence for U=U).
- Another relatively recent option is for the negative partner to use PrEP. This is an oral drug that when taken as prescribed is highly effective. (See: UK guide to PrEP).
- You can use condoms which are an effective barrier against HIV (and other STIs). Condoms need to be used carefully, preferably with plenty of lube. (See: How to use a condom (male and female).
HIV is a much less infectious virus than many other sexually transmitted infections (STI’s).
Even without a condom, the risk from a single exposure is less than, for example, 1 in 300. The actual risk becoming infected varies depending on many factors. These include the type of exposure, whether the other person is HIV positive, how high or low their viral load is, the duration and roughness of the sex etc.
If the partner is HIV positive, then viral load is the most important factor. The PARTNER study reported zero HIV transmissions after 900 couples had sex more than 58,000 times WITHOUT condoms. In this study undetectable viral load was defined as being less than 200 copies/mL.
https://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study
Risk factors for penetrative sex without a condom with someone who has a very high viral load could be as high as 1 in 10 (10% risk). But the risk is effectively zero with someone who is taking treatment and who has an undetectable viral load.
This question was updated in January 2018 and November 2016 from an original answer posted in June 2007. i-Base no longer answers individual questions about HIV transmission and risk. (See: Question 1 at this link).
Good evening.
I am an HIV positive homosexual male.
I was diagnosed with the virus late 2015 and have been on medication for just over a year. My viral load in in the first 6 months of treatment came to 40. I took my second (yearly) blood tests a month ago and my viral load is lower than detectable levels.
My question is: what are the chances of the viral load increasing from this undetectable level? What are the factors that may cause one’s viral load to increase, if possible?
Does taking the medication 8 hours, for example, later than usual time have any influence on the increment of the viral load?
Hi Rose,
i-base is a service for people who are HIV positive.
If you have any questions about someones viral load, you can either ask them, or wait for them to discuss their health with you.
How will I know the viral load of a person who is HIV positive?
Hi Alecia,
Please see Q’s 1 and 5 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
Hi my partner has a very less hiv positive the elsa test was some where around 2.24 nd doc said they will start medicine in few months we haf sex exactly 5 times nd he just got to know he is positive recwntly we got interacted today as well however i did my test too my resluts were negative so can i be get positive too please help with ir suggeation many thanks
Hi Sarah,
Your sinus infection will be that, a sinus infection, and will have nothing to do with HIV. This is because the risk of transmission when someone is undetectable is close to zero. If not zero. For more info please see the results of the PARTNER study:
http://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study/
If you have unprotected sex with an infected partner who is on meds and the viral load is undetectable and are sick when you do what are the chances you will get HIV? The person did not say they were HIV positive until a day or 2 later. Known them 8 years and was in shock. The sickness is a sinus infection.
Hi Tiffinie,
If you have unprotected sex with someone who is HIV positive and they aren’t on medication and their viral load is detectable the risk of transmission is there. If you are worried, you will need to test. Please see Q1 here for testing info:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
What are the chances of being infected when no protection was used..the person found out 6 days after encounters and encounters where 3days in a row right after menstrual cycle..
Hi Vincent,
If you have a detectable viral load, then yes, your partner is at risk of contracting HIV if you have sex without a condom. If however, you’re on treatment and have an undetectable viral load, the risk will be close to zero. For more info please see the results of the PARTNER study:
http://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study/