Question

Is the reinfection something that is true or another myth?

10 October 2008. Related: All topics, HIV reinfection (superinfection), HIV transmission.

I’ve heard about re-infection, but have since been recently told by someone who is HIV-positive that it is just a myth.

They said that two HIV-positive people who have unprotected sex with each other, will have no effect on their health or meds if indeed they are not on meds yet.

Is this true? Or is there evidence to support a yes or no answer?

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Reinfection is a reality and it is possible, although we don’t know how often it occurs because it is difficult to test for. What the person told you is perhaps a bit of a wishful thinking, I am afraid. There are several things to be considered here.

1. If both of the people have been genotypically tested upon diagnosis and neither of them had an unprotected sex or any other activity that could have led to infection from another (outside of the relationship) positive person after diagnosis, and both partners have the so-called wild type of virus, and neither of them is on therapy yet, then it is safe to have unprotected sex. This is the ‘ideal’ case.

2. Same as above, but this time with one of the partners on medications, while the other one is still not, then the advice here is based on how adherent to the therapy is the partner on medications. If he/she misses doses or is at any other risk of developing resistance, then it is better to avoid unprotected sex. If, however, he/she is adherent and with undetectable viral load, then perhaps it is OK to practise unprotected sex.

3. If either of the partners has a viral strain that is different from the partner’s one (in other words resistant to certain medications or classes), then the other partner is at risk to get a viral strain that will pose difficulties for the treatment in the future.

One additional risk from all these situations, is risk of catching other sexually transmitted infections that condoms also protect you from.
Hope this makes the things a bit clearer.