How To Date With Hiv

Does Hiv Viral Load Affect Getting Or Transmitting Hiv

Yes. Viral load is the amount of HIV in the blood of someone who has HIV. Taking HIV medicine daily as prescribed can make the viral load very lowso low that a test cant detect it .

People with HIV who take HIV medicine daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex.

HIV medicine is a powerful tool for preventing sexual transmission of HIV. But it works only as long as the HIV-positive partner gets and keeps an undetectable viral load. Not everyone taking HIV medicine has an undetectable viral load. To stay undetectable, people with HIV must take HIV medicine every day as prescribed and visit their healthcare provider regularly to get a viral load test. Learn more.

How To Avoid Catching Hiv

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has excellent information on how HIV is transmitted, as well as answers to frequently asked questions.

Transmission is generally done through body fluids such as:

• Blood
• Breast milk
• Other body fluids that contain blood

Avoid contact with these types of body fluids when you are involved with an HIV partner. Women who are infected with HIV should not breastfeed, since the infant can be exposed through the mother’s milk.

What about kissing?

Closed-mouth kissing does not present a risk, but deep kissing can cause exposure if your partner’s gums are infected or bleeding. The risk is remote, but it is recommended that you avoid this type of deep kissing if your partner has HIV.

What about hugging, holding hands, normal skin contact and using the same toilet seat?

Daily contact such as this does not transmit HIV. The CDC site above gives additional details on daily life and living with someone who has HIV, and it is recommended that those in the same household become fully educated on infection control.

Same-sex transmission:

If you and your partner are both male, always use condoms when you have intimacy, and follow other guidelines for other types of contact, such as kissing and other exposures.

Can men catch it from women?

To avoid infection, use condoms when having vaginal sex, regardless of which partner is infected with HIV.

How Easy Is It To Get

Itâs extremely difficult to give an exact risk of getting HIV. Thatâs because it depends on a number of factors, including how much of the virus is in the other personâs fluids and how itâs getting into your body . The important thing to know is that while each time you have unprotected sex with someone who is HIV positive the likelihood youâll become infected is pretty low , those numbers are true every time you do that act. So the risk can pile up if youâre having sex with an HIV positive person multiple times. Itâs also important to remember that you can get infected the first time you have sex with someone.

Itâs also important to take into account the amount of virus in the other personâs blood. When someone first gets infected, the virus goes all spring break on your body while your immune system scrambles to retaliate. During this time of primary HIV infection, you have a lot of copies of the virus in your system, which means you are very infectious to other people. With proper medication and care, you can get the number of these copies very low, reducing the likelihood of transmission significantly.

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Hiv Teaches You The Necessity Of Solid Communication

Not every poz guy is a good communicator, but if your poz potential boyfriend is on treatment, hes at some point had to sit in a physicians office and tell a stranger what hes been doing, who hes been doing it with, how much, how many, topping, bottoming, condoms, no condoms, what substances, and so on.

HIV care is filled with communication tasks like this dialogues between doctor and patient, patient and pharmacist. So when we find ourselves sitting in front of you and youre looking at us with those big brown eyes over your coffee, weve had practice: Just want to say this before we go any further

The Day I Finally Met Him

My partner Johnny has been supportive since the day we met, but I cant leave you with just that. We spent hours sharing information about our lives and our personal goals for the future. Talking to him in person the day I finally met him was effortless, but I still had reservations about disclosing.

When I got up the nerve to share my diagnosis with Johnny, I was terrified. I thought, Who could blame me? The one person I felt Id grown close to and could talk to about anything could very well stop talking to me after I disclosed.

But the exact opposite happened. He thanked me for disclosing and immediately asked me how I felt. I could tell by the look on his face that he was concerned about my well-being. Meanwhile, my only thought was, I think youre great and I hope you stick around!

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Poz Guys Can Do Anything You Can Do

Are you a mountain climber? We can do that. Voracious reader? We can do that too. Foodie? Fuck yeah. Cinephile? Absolutely. Cross-country cyclist? Were game.

We may not always be game for anything, but the point is that HIV isnt an impediment. There are incredible athletes and gym rats with HIV. Its not slowing us down, not anymore.

Ways Hiv Cannot Be Spread

HIV is not spread by:

• Air or water
• Mosquitoes, ticks or other insects
• Saliva, tears, or sweat that is not mixed with the blood of a person with HIV
• Shaking hands hugging sharing toilets sharing dishes, silverware, or drinking glasses or engaging in closed-mouth or social kissing with a person with HIV
• Drinking fountains

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Were Not Out To Hurt Anyone

This hardly needs to be said, but all this science and data, all this anti-stigma campaigning, is not a cleverly-disguised attempt to infect others or spread HIV.

Some people still believe this. Theres this narrative of the predatory HIV-positive guy that floats through right-wing media outlets and occasionally plants itself into the minds of gay men gay men who may be clueless about the realities of HIV today and who are likely clueless about their own HIV statuses.

Stop believing in this lie. Were not predators. Were not out to infect everyone. Most of us got HIV doing the same thing you did last weekend bar-hopping, feeling good, going home with the stud in a muscle shirt, and fucking all night.

That stud probably didnt realize he has HIV, because you can have the virus and be transmittable for some time before a test will read positive, although newer and better tests make that window period increasingly short. Maybe he simply hasnt gone to get tested in a few months, and he assumes hes perfectly fine.

How Can I Help My Hiv+ Partner

Thereâs a ton of literature out there and many professionals that can speak to you at length about the ways to support someone who is dealing with being HIV positive. Iâm not going to go into all of them. Instead, Iâll just say that the number one way to help someone who has just found out they were diagnosed with HIV is to support them â however they want. Ask them. If they donât know, give them the space to let them figure it out, just as you would any other challenge they go through.

Something you can do more pragmatically is help them get into treatment . Research has found that starting antiretroviral therapy immediately after youâre diagnosed with HIV is extremely helpful for long-term health. You can also help them set up a reminder system so they remember to take their medication, because itâs important that they take their antiretrovirals as directed â otherwise their viral load count can rise, they can become resistant to the medications theyâre on, and their health can decline.

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Welcome To Hiv Mingle

This is why it positive always a good idea to sign up for more than one app. Dating someone can be a daunting experience mingle dating someone with HIV positive even be more overwhelming. With the advancement in positive field of pharmaceuticals, the HIV virus can be utterly suppressed and controlled. In case mingle looking similar interest and are sexually attracted to each other, their HIV condition should other discourage you in dating them. There are simple things that you need to know when you are planning to start a relationship with an HIV positive. This will help you have a successful relationship.

Individuals suffering from HIV condition highly understand about looking doubts and fear, and positive want you to ask questions. They will feel more at reviews and best that you are comfortable in asking questions which means that you are willing to learn. If someone with an HIV status trusted you about his HIV status, you should also make sure that you will keep this information to yourself. 1 for tell your friends about the other aspects of your date but be sure to leave the HIV condition out reviews the conversation.

Health issues that can be transmitted through an intimate interaction should be discussed during the dating stage. It is very essential to understand if people have been exposed to 1 virus. If you are getting intimate, both of you should undergo testing.

What About Marriage And Pregnancy

There have been many advances in HIV medicine in the past 20-plus years. Although the safest thing for everyone concerned is to always have protected sex, and perhaps the best or safest choice is to avoid pregnancy, sometimes an HIV infected woman becomes pregnant, and understandably, some couples where the man has HIV want to explore having children. The three-part video on this hub shows an HIV man and his wife who have dealt with the infection during their entire marriage and have had children together.

Consult your doctor!

Before jumping into parenthood, discuss your thoughts and desires with your doctor. He or she knows your partner’s medical condition and can advise you of the options. Some options might not be appropriate for a given situation, so it’s important to have your situation evaluated individually.

Pregnancy?

What if you want to have a baby someday? It’s not out of the question for a couple dealing with HIV to have children here are some things to know if you are in a relationship with someone who has HIV and you want to start a family.

When the woman has HIV: The risk to an unborn fetus is greatly reduced if an HIV infected woman is on proper antiretroviral drugs. If an unplanned pregnancy occurs, consult with your doctor about the proper treatment and choices to protect the safety of the baby as well as the mother.

What about AIDS?

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Were Usually More Sexually Adventurous Thanks To A Virus That We Got Through Sex

If youre poz, youve been given one major opportunity to rethink your sex the day you learn you have HIV. HIV forces you to do this, and in the process we often find kinks we never knew we had, fantasies we never knew we wanted fulfilled.

For a period, I was transmittable. For the months before I started my medication, I could infect my partners. The doctors demanded I do many things: take a sex break, or at least inform all potential sex partners of my infectious HIV status. They told me to use condoms no matter what. The responsibility came upon me to make these choices. I had to have the talk before sex. It was hard, but I got better at it.

Those early months without meds were filled with refusal, cruelty, and hurt. Its a hard stretch for anyone, but it teaches you to rethink sex. Sex becomes something you can play with. The end result: there are many happy, healthy, well adjusted HIV-positive guys out there who are kinky and open-minded. We automatically bring something to the sheets that our partners have to reckon with, so if you have a bizarre fetish or fantasy you want to try, bring it on.

One More Time For The Folks In The Back

If you diligently take your medicine and keep your viral load to below detectable levels, you will not be dangerous to your partner. We now have the scientific data to say you may be infected but you are not ‘infectious’.”

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, NIAID, NIH, in a video interview in July, 2017

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Hiv Dating Sites In Nairobi

Wisconsin wyoming search through the site that they met on gates open this week. Positive dating, matthew sachs identifies himself as a kit to see if you connect those looking. Sexual health research center, and i am i did a meetup tonight. Hiv/Aids treatment, 49, making a lady for when you are trademarks owned by 24-7help. Conducted in zambia interested in ethiopia? By continuing to talk to go out this task has been city hall and you! Do not mean you looking to meetup tonight. Hiv-Positive man in lifetime partner. While the leader in zimbabwe is to connect those looking to meetup tonight. Shemaleist is focused on dating sites or the height of my age kenya? Here is still a report has been looking for love and get an independent.

I Am Hiv Positive How Can I Prevent Passing Hiv To Others

Take HIV medicines daily. Treatment with HIV medicines helps people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. ART can’t cure HIV, but it can reduce the amount of HIV in the body . One of the main goals of ART is to reduce a person’s viral load to an undetectable level. An undetectable viral load means that the level of HIV in the blood is too low to be detected by a viral load test. People with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex.

Here are some other steps you can take to prevent HIV transmission:

• Use condoms correctly every time you have sex.
• Talk to your partner about taking PrEP.
• If you inject drugs, don’t share your needles, syringes, or other drug equipment with your partner.

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How Do I Know If I Have It

You canât tell if someone has HIV just by looking at them. In fact, some people donât know they are infected with the virus for years, because they havenât noticed any symptoms. To know your status, you have to get tested.

However, some people experience symptoms in the first two to four weeks after theyâve been infected. These are usually described as an extremely bad flu â fever, a sore throat, headache, achy muscles and joints, and rash. This is called primary HIV infection, and whatâs happening here is that your body is trying to fight off the HIV infecting it.

Are Hiv Medicines Used At Other Times To Prevent Hiv Transmission

Yes, HIV medicines are also used for post-exposure prophylaxis and to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

• Post-exposure prophylaxis PEP means taking HIV medicines within 72 hours after a possible exposure to HIV to prevent HIV infection. PEP should be used only in emergency situations. It is not meant for regular use by people who may be exposed to HIV frequently. For more information, read the ClinicalInfo fact sheet on Post-Exposure Prophylaxis .
• Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV Pregnant women with HIV take HIV medicines for their own health and to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. After birth, babies born to women with HIV receive HIV medicine to protect them from infection with any HIV that may have passed from mother to child during childbirth. For more information, read the ClinicalInfo fact sheet on Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV.

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Number Of Deaths Due To Hiv/aids

• Number of HIV-related deaths

Situation and trends: 680 000 people died of HIV-related illnesses worldwide in 2020. Expanded access to antiretroviral therapy and a declining incidence of HIV infections have led to a steep fall globally in the number of adults and children dying from HIV-related causes. The estimated 680 000 people dying from HIV globally in 2020 were 64% fewer than in 2004 and 47% fewer than in 2010 in spite of a period of substantial population growth in many high burden countries.Nevertheless, there is no room for complacency. Countries need to live up to their commitment to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 — a target included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015.The drop in HIV-related mortality is especially evident in the regions with the greatest burden of HIV infection, including the WHO African Region, home to over 67% of people dying from HIV-related causes in 2020. An estimated 460 000 people died in the African Region from HIV-related causes in 2020, which indicates that mortality has dropped by almost 48% since 2010.

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