Great news for those who are HIV-positive but have an "undetectable viral load". The Opposites Attract study, recently released data that zero transmissions occurred between HIV-positive men and their HIV-negative partners. Andrew Gurlich, from the Kirby Institute, lead the study and is saying that undetectable viral load is "completely effective" at stopping the transmission of HIV. Undetectable viral load is when the virus is undetectable in the blood and can be achieved anywhere after 3-6 months of treatment.
The study followed 358 gay male couples, one HIV-positive and one HIV-negative, from Thailand, Brazil, and Australia. The study recorded almost 17,000 instances of anal sex without the use of a condom. 12,000 instances only had the undetectable viral load as protection. The other 5,000 instances also had the HIV-negative partner on PrEP.
As Gurlich told BuzzFeed News:
It really does confirm that undetectable viral load is completely effective at preventing transmissions in gay couples. Essentially, we’re documenting that this is a form of safe sex for couples in this situation.
This is exciting news for anyone living with HIV. As we reported earlier this week, HIV treatment may be moving from daily to monthly. We are living in a day and age where we are seeing people living and thriving with HIV. There is still stigma around those with the virus, but with these new medical advances and information we can work to move to a stigma free society.
Read the full article at BuzzFeed News.