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).
I have been with my partner for a year, having sex without a condom. Then she got pregnant and found out that she is HIV positive and am negative, is that possible?
Hi Tony, if you are worried about HIV, then scroll down for information about PEP at this link:
http://i-base.info/guides/testing/pep-pepse-and-prep
If you are worried about other infections please contact a sexual health clinic.
Hi, I had sex today with a lady and sex was rough and i had it without condom please advice me on the type of drugs to take so that i will not contact any STD.
Hi Kesha, if the test was negative you do not have HIV. I hope your ex is okay. Info about testing and transmission is linked to this answer:
http://i-base.info/qa/11844
I just recently found my ex has hiv. We broke up July of last year. Is it possible I can have the virus? I just took a hiv test last month and it came back negative but I done lost weight and so much more.
Hi Malayika, I am sorry that you had this experience. The only way to find out about HIV is to take a test. Do you need support for the way this happened? Have you told anyone about this. If this person raped or assaulted you there will be organisations that can help.
A guy forced me to have sex with him but the bad thing is dat he didn’t use acondom ,he was not circumcised and the bad thing I was in my mestration periods is it possible might be affected cos its now heading to 6months after dat mess
Hi Pertunia, f you viral load is undetectable your partner very unlikely to be at any risk. See this link for details of a study where couple had sex without condoms 58,000 with no transmissions.
http://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study
I’ve been on ARV for a year now and we not using a condom with my partner, what are the risks involved bcz my partner is negative
Hi John – please see the original answer to this thread.
http://i-base.info/qa/121