Question
Is it possible to sleep with someone HIV positive and not get HIV?
23 November 2022. Related: All topics, HIV transmission, Sero different couples.
I started to sleep with someone who has had HIV since 2018 up until now. Last month I tested negative. Is this possible?
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Yes this is possible. The most probable reason is that your partner is on treatment. While on treatment with a viral load below 200, it is not possible to pass on HIV via sex. This means even without a condom or PrEP, there is no risk of HIV transmission. This is explained by U=U. This stands for when people have an undetectable viral load (below 200), it is not possible for HIV to be transmitted.
There are other factors that can influence the risk of HIV transmission. Sleeping with someone who is positive does not mean you will become HIV positive yourself. These factors inc. type of sex, positions and length of time. More are discussed here.
Josh
Hi Thandeka, this depends on if you are taking treatment. If you are on treatment and have a viral load below 200, there is no risk of transmission. This is called U=U: https://i-base.info/guides/testing/uu-undetectable-untransmittable
It means that when your viral load is this low because of treatment, there is so little HIV that sex without protection is not a risk. Even if you have a higher viral load than this, treatment will still significantly reduce the risk of transmission and be considered low-risk. PEP would not be needed in this case.
For more information about transmission please see here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
If you are HIV positive and you sleep with your partner without protection can he also be affected