HIV complicates relationships undoubtedly, but with the correct care, Human immunodeficiency virus -positive women can have healthy relationships without sharing the virus.
If you’re living with HIV, you can still have a satisfying sex life — you and your partner just need to take certain steps to prevent transmission.
Beverly Franklin, 46, is doing exactly that. She’s been Human immunodeficiency virus positive for 13 years, and as she puts it, condoms are a must. For her, refusing to use a condom is a deal-breaker. “Even if you also have HIV, it could be a different strain,” she says. “If you would like to, you are allowed to [have sex without a condom].”
Franklin, a mother of two from Norfolk, Virginia, has “undetectable” levels of HIV, which means that the viral load in her blood is below what a lab test can find — or, in other words, less than 40 to 75 particles, or copies, of the virus per milliliter, according to AIDS.gov.
“I have come to terms with my diagnosis,” says Franklin. “It doesn’t define me.”
She became infected with HIV when she and a partner, in a committed relationship, stopped using condoms. They have since separated, and for the past six years, Franklin has been working with East Virginia Medical School as an outreach worker to help other people who have Human immunodeficiency virus and to educate those who are at risk. “It’s worth it if I can prevent one person from obtaining what I have,” she says.
1.Be honest with your partner
First and foremost, you need to think about “issues of divulgence – how to ensure your accomplice and survey their HIV status, furthermore what to do if things go wrong,” according to Dr. Francois Venter, head of the Office of Pharmaceutical at Minds University and an appointee chief at Minds Regenerative Wellbeing and Human immunodeficiency virus Founder.
These require to be handled some time recently you discover yourself in the minute so you can approach them with cautious thought.
“Make plans for the conversation, set up a safe place to have sex, and give your partner the freedom to try. And have a convenient arrange B in put in case there’s a condom break, such as taking post-exposure prophylaxis (Energy), which anticipates HIV transmission,” says Dr Venter.
2.Use condoms – they work
There are a part of myths around condoms not being secure sufficient to ensure against HIV transmission. However, they are completely safe if used correctly and do not burst or come off.
Unfortunately, they every so often slip or tear, in which case a little hazard is show and it’s prompted to get Get up and go from your specialist or clinic. Hazard too increments amid your period.
3.Stick to your treatment
With the coming of secure and viable antiretrovirals, your wellbeing returns to ordinary and your capacity to pass on the infection is decreased nearly to zero. So, mishaps with condoms, or anything else, are much less likely to have results for your partner.
4.Oral sex is low risk for passing on Human immunodeficiency virus
“You’re more likely to be struck by lightning than to contract HIV through verbal sex,” states Dr. Venter.
However, you can still capture other STIs from unprotected verbal sex, so continue with caution.
Have Safer Sex With HIV
If you have HIV, you can take these precautions to protect your partner:
- Tell your partner you have Human immunodeficiency virus . “Sharing your status gives [your partner] the power and the knowledge to make their choice as well,” says infectious disease specialist Catherine Derber, MD, assistant professor with the East Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. In many states, you are required by law to tell partners if you have HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Talk to your doctor if you aren’t sure how to have this conversation.
- Encourage your partner to be tested at least once a year. “There’s a lot of fear about getting an Human immunodeficiency virus test,” says infectious disease specialist Nicholas Van Sickels, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at Tulane University and director of the Tulane CD4 Clinic in Alexandria, Louisiana. But sexually active people should be tested annually, says AIDS.gov.
- Take your medications. Dr. Derber says that “taking antivirals and getting their viral load undetectable is one of the best things people with HIV can do.”
- Always wear a condom during sex. Even if the virus isn’t detectable in your blood, it can be present in your genital fluids. That’s why people with Human immunodeficiency virus should use a new latex condom with every type of sexual encounter — vagina, anal, or oral, says AIDS.gov. (Some people with Human immunodeficiency virus may have unprotected sex without disclosing their status because they believe that taking their medications and keeping viral load down means they can’t transmit HIV, according to a survey of HIV status and sexual behavior published in August 2015 in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.)
- Consider PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) for your partner. People who do not have Human immunodeficiency virus but may be at risk for infection can take a daily oral medication called PrEP to help reduce their risk of getting HIV, according to the CDC. Let your doctor know if cost is a barrier to using this medication. “If we want it for someone, we are always able to find a way to get it,” says Dr. Van Sickels.
- Don’t share needles. Injection drug use accounts for 1 in 10 Human immunodeficiency virus infections, according to AIDS.gov. Sharing needles for any reason can expose your partner to HIV.
The bottom line: Living with HIV doesn’t have to end your sexual relationship with your partner — but you do need to take precaution.
