Question

Is my partner at risk and do I need to start treatment?

4 July 2016. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Starting treatment.

Its 6 years now being HIV positive and not on treatment but m still healthy and my partner is HIV negative even though we have unprotected sex…

Fours years back I had a daughter who is four years now and she and her father are both HIV negative…

My CD4 count is below 350 but m still healthy ,,I  haven’t got sick since … I accepted the status … But my worry is why is my partner still negative and will I have ever get sick ??? What causes this?

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Hi

Thanks for your question and for tlaking about your experience.

It is great thant your partner and duaghter are both HIV negative.

If you have not been using HIV treatment (ART), then this is just very good luck. If you are not on ART, then your partner will be at risk from having sex without condoms.

Your CD4 count is also now less than 350. This means that ART is definitely recommended now for your own health. Even though you are not feeling sick, HIV is causing damage to your bocy that you can’t see.

The good news is that ART will also reduce any risk of your partner catching HIV.

ART is so effective that once viral load is undetectable, this risk becomes close to zero – and may even be zero.

Please talk to your doctor about starting ART – mainly for your health but also for your partner.