Question
What are the risks to me and my partner if I stopped ARVs when my clinic closed?
5 May 2025. Related: Access to treatment, All topics, HIV transmission, Sero different couples, Southern Africa, Stopping treatment.
Hi, my HIV clinic closed and I can’t afford ARVs as they are no longer free. What is my risk if I stay off ART. will my partner be at risk?
Answer
Hi there
I am very sorry that your clinic is closed. This has happened to clinics in lots of countries after the block in US aid.
Lots of people are working hard to open the previous services again. Until this happens are there any other clinics that still provide free ARVs?
You ask about risks to yourself, and also to your partner. Is your partner HIV negative?
Your risk depends on your HIV history.
If you were diagnosed with a high CD4 count (above 350) and have never been ill, then being off-ART might not cause any short-term problem. You might easily go for several months or perhaps much longer without becoming ill.
If your CD4 count ever wen below 200 though or if you were ever seriously ill, then it is more urgent for you to start ARVs again.
It is also important that you ask about the risk to your partner if they are HIV negative.
After stopping ART it usually takes at least a week before viral load becomes detectable. even it this takes a couple of weeks, it is best to assume a week.
After stopping ART please use condoms if your partner is HIV negative.
Then over the next 2 to 12 weeks, viral load can become incredibly high. In some people this can be more than 100,000 copies/mL, or more than 1,000,000 copies/mL.
Unless you are using condoms or your partner is using PrEP this will be a VERY high risk of transmitting HIV.
Although the times will vary for different people, without a recent viral load test it is impossible to talk about individual risks.
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