Question
If my partner has an undetectable viral load can I get HIV?
1 April 2011. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, HIV transmission.
My partner is HIV positive and he has been undetectable for 6 years now with no medication or treatments. What are the chances of him spreading the HIV virus to me, are they the same or lower?
I am the giver, he receives. I know I already stand a smaller chance being the ‘top’.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
You are right that being a ‘top’ lowers your risk levels. For more information please follow this link to asimilar question.
There are a lot of recent studies to support that the relationship between lower viral load and lower rates of transmission. However, most of the research refers to vaginal sex. Very little is available on anal sex. There is this study though which is about rectal secretions of HIV and viral load that may be of interest.
To be honest, at this stage it is impossible to say what the chances are of him transmitting the virus to you as it depends on many factors such as viral load in rectal tissue, if either of you have any additional STIs, the length of time you have sex, the roughness of sex, whether or not you are circumcised (circumcised men are about 50% less likely to get infected)…….
I am sorry I cannot give you a more exact answer but keep watching the i-Base website as we report on all new studies in this area as and when they are available.