Question

Who can I talk to about treatment in Yorkshire?

25 August 2011. Related: All topics, HIV transmission, Starting treatment.

I’m HIV+ with CD4 of 110 and viral load of 75 and I’m being treated at a GUM clinic in Yorkshire.

Is there anywhere in this area that you know of where I could get some advice or talk to someone about HIV and drug combinations and what I can expect going forward, I don’t want to just sit taking the tablets to find out in a few years I should have been doing something else and realise it’s too late and i’ve reduced my life expectancy and/or quality.

Also my wife (who is negative) and I are just (after a year) starting to feel like we are ready for some sexual contact, am I right to assume I can perform oral sex on her without protection, I don’t inject/take drugs or have any sores on or in my mouth? without risk?

She has tested negative on 3 tests (at time of my diagnosis again after 13 weeks and after 6 months)

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

There are lots of options for support and information. It sounds like you have had a difficult year together and I hope it is getting easier now.

There is a good organisation called Begin who run lots of different services. There contact details are on their website:

http://www.beginwakefield.co.uk/8.html

It sounds like you are already doing everything you can by being on treatment. If you would like to talk to someone about treatment options, then you could call the i-Base phoneline, which covers all the UK.

HIV is not infectious in saliva and oral sex from an HIV-positive man on an HIV-negative woman would not be thought to put the woman at risk. Your wife’s test results show she is HIV-negative and has been lucky and it is good. If you wife is happy for you to give her oral sex then this should not put her at risk.

With a CD4 count under 200, then it is good you are on treatment. I hope the clinic has been prescribing you an antibiotic called Septrin to protect you from infections until your count gets over 200.

Once your viral load becomes undetectable on treatment (75 is already very close), then your risk of transmitted HIV also drops dramatically. Here is a recent medical report on a study showing this.

https://i-base.info/htb/15455

If you decide to call we can talk about all these subjects in more detail.

For more information about treatment, see the Introduction to combination therapy at this link:

https://i-base.info/guides/

I can also post you a print copy if they didn’t give you this at your clinic.