Question
I just started ART but my partner doesn’t know…
14 April 2024. Related: All topics, Sero different couples, Starting treatment, Support.
Hi I just found out that I’m HIV positive and I’ve been testing negative the past few months and I’ve started my medication yesterday and my boyfriend doesn’t know yet and he never likes protected sex.
Answer
Hi there
Thanks for your questions.
It is good that you have now started treatment and I hope this is going well.
There isn’t an easy answer about talking to your partner though, because you know him and how he might react. If this is just about using condoms though, then after your viral load becomes undetectable, this will also protect your partner even without condoms.
Has your partner tested recently and is there a chance he might already be HIV positive too? Just that he doesn’t want to know about this?
If you haven’t been routinely using condoms then the risk to your partner will now be going down each week until you become undetectable.
You partner should really have an HIV test though in case he is already positive.
Hi Siyanda. [lease contact your clinic to explain this. Although PrEP will give some protection, this will be less than if you had taken the double dose before sex. As you partner could still have a detectable viral load, the slinic might srill recommend PEP.
Hello
I started my Prep double dose 2-1-1 at 2 hours AFTER sex. My partner is HIV positive, and she only started her ART about 15 days ago. Clinic gave me Prep and they gave her HIV medication, but 1 week of Prep I very sick so I stopped taking Prep on pill 4 about 3 weeks ago.
Will being 2 hours late on starting double dose Prep still work?
OR Do I need to start PEP? I am still within a day of exposure typing this.