Gay HIV transmission with treatment is 'zero risk', study confirms
 

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Further evidence that taking anti-HIV drugs stops gay men passing on the virus to sexual partners has been called a "powerful message" which should be more widely known.

A study of nearly 1,000 gay male couples in The Lancet found no cases of HIV transmission over eight years.

This was due to treatment reducing the virus to very low levels in the body.

"Undetectable equals untransmittable" should be basic HIV knowledge for everyone, experts said.



The European study followed 972 gay male couples - where one was living with HIV and taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the other was HIV negative - over eight years, from 2010-2017.

There were no cases of HIV being passed within the couples over that time.

And the researchers say that around 472 cases of HIV are likely to have been prevented.

In total, the couples reported having anal sex without condoms a total of 76,088 times.

Although 15 men did become infected with HIV during the study, genetic testing showed that none of the viruses came from their main partner.

"Our findings provide conclusive evidence that the risk of HIV transmission through anal sex when HIV viral load is suppressed is effectively zero," the researchers said.

Prof Alison Rodger, study author and professor of infectious diseases at University College London, said anal sex was known to have the highest risk of transmission, but gay men should be reassured.

"This powerful message can help end the HIV pandemic by preventing HIV transmission, and tackling the stigma and discrimination that many people with HIV face."

She called for all people living with HIV to have access to testing and effective treatment.

'Huge relief to know I can't pass on virus'

Matt Stokes, 26, was diagnosed with HIV in 2016 and started drug therapy four weeks later. Tests showed the virus was undetectable in his body within three months.

"It's a huge relief and gives me self confidence to know I can't pass on the virus," he says.

"Among the gay community and my friends there has been a real change in recent years - you can put 'undetectable' on Grindr, for example."

But there's a long way to go before everyone knows what it means, he adds.

"Some people don't want to believe it. They have an irrational fear it might not be true."

He says charities campaigning on the issue are giving the message "a huge boost" and changing views on sex.

Addressing stigma
Deborah Gold, chief executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust) said more should be done to get the message out to healthcare workers and the general public.

"There needs to be a much better understanding of how HIV is and isn't transmitted, and the fact that treatment stops transmission, in the NHS and beyond. We think this is vital to addressing stigma."

Previous research has shown zero risk for heterosexual couples of passing on the virus, when one person is taking HIV treatment, prompting UNAIDS to launch its undetectable = untransmittable campaign.

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Dr Ford Hickson, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the study confirmed that if people suppress their HIV with antiretroviral therapy, they "cannot pass their virus to other people during sex, whatever kind of sex they have".

In the study, the men with HIV had been taking antiretroviral therapy for an average of four years before it began, making the virus undetectable - defined as fewer than 200 copies per ml of blood.

Most people reach this level after taking daily HIV treatment for six months.

What is antiretroviral therapy?
It is a combination of drugs, to be taken daily, to stop HIV replicating in the body.

It can't cure HIV, but it can reduce the amount of virus to undetectable levels in the blood.

Most people with HIV take a combination pill once a day but others can take up to four pills a day depending on their specific health needs.

Everyone is recommended to start treatment straight away after being diagnosed.

Dr Michael Brady, medical director at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "The study has given us the confidence to say, without doubt, that people living with HIV who are on effective treatment cannot pass the virus on to their sexual partners.

"This has incredible impact on the lives of people living with HIV and is a powerful message to address HIV-related stigma."

In the UK, 98% of people diagnosed with HIV are receiving treatment - and 97% of those have an undetectable level of the virus - meaning they are unable to pass on the infection.

But figures from Public Health England estimate than only 92% of the 101,600 of people living with HIV have been diagnosed.

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so its a vaccine for gay aids?

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This is a good day. Possible eradication of HIV/AIDS. All people are at risk!

but you wrote "gay HIV" and I was asking if it is some form of gay AIDS??

I don't buy into the "undetectable" HIV+ hype.

It's been proven that HIV levels while taking these meds go up and down sometimes on a daily basis depending on when you take them if you take them with food if you have a cold etc.

So one day you can be undetectable or the next day you can be detectable and have more of the virus in you.

Not to mention the side effects of these medications they can have severe impact on bone loss and liver and kidney damage, leading to liver and kidney failure.

Having a virus and being undetectable is still you having a virus that's possible to spread.

The whole point is non-transmission of the virus. If all people with HIV take the Meds there will be no new cases. And over time eradicate HIV/AIDS.

"There needs to be a much better understanding of how HIV is and isn't transmitted, and the fact that treatment stops transmission, in the NHS and beyond. We think this is vital to addressing stigma."

Previous research has shown zero risk for heterosexual couples of passing on the virus, when one person is taking HIV treatment, prompting UNAIDS to launch its undetectable = untransmittable campaign.

Dr Ford Hickson, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the study confirmed that if people suppress their HIV with antiretroviral therapy, they "cannot pass their virus to other people during sex, whatever kind of sex they have".

In the study, the men with HIV had been taking antiretroviral therapy for an average of four years before it began, making the virus undetectable - defined as fewer than 200 copies per ml of blood.

Most people reach this level after taking daily HIV treatment for six months.

In the UK, 98% of people diagnosed with HIV are receiving treatment - and 97% of those have an undetectable level of the virus - meaning they are unable to pass on the infection.

You still have HIV when you take the meds.

There's no guarantee of non transmission on this medication.

You cannot donate blood when you're on the meds. Why? Because you still have HIV.

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh . . .

I Guess you didn't read the article. Study over eight years sex without condoms a total of 76,088 times.

The European study followed 972 gay male couples - where one was living with HIV and taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the other was HIV negative - over eight years, from 2010-2017.

There were no cases of HIV being passed within the couples over that time.

And the researchers say that around 472 cases of HIV are likely to have been prevented.

In total, the couples reported having anal sex without condoms a total of 76,088 times.

You still have HIV in your blood on the meds

You can still transmit HIV

YOU ARE STILL HIV+

Dude!! Who pissed in your cornflakes? It should be a happy day for Science and Humanity. We are only getting closer to a cure.

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Facts are a downer sometimes.

Hate to burst your bubble but facts are facts.

They really need to change their marketing because 200 copies of the virus per milliliter of blood is not "zero chance" of getting HIV to most people.

People like me don't want to risk our health with someone that has a disease that's not detectable because quite honestly most people with HIV you can't tell that they have it they are "non-detectable" to the naked eye.

I guess this is great news for people with HIV and people who want to have sex with people with HIV :thumbsup

Bosa.... do you believe that undetectable HIV+ people on this treatment should be able to donate blood?

If you were in an accident would you want this blood pumped into you?

Of Course not but this not about donating blood. Its about people with HIV not transmitting the virus to their partners.
If they continue to take their Meds less people will contract the virus. Just like we eradicated the Measles (until Anti-vaxers Thanks for that) We could eradicate HIV. People with HIV are going to have sex someone and it's possible they could have sex with others and then could pass it pass it on. Isn't it a good thing to try and stop it at the source.

I find it fascinating that people are so hysterical, paranoid and even uneducated about Medicine and Science. Not you guys of course. Right? We are all living longer thanks to Doctors and the drugs from Scientific discoveries. Why would people go to school for 8-12 years to create drugs that don't work or companies spend all that money on research for nothing?

Yes big pharma is evil but there are good scientist and doctors out there that want to save lives and prolong our quality of life. I don't want to go back to the dark age when I could die from a paper cut.

Soon we will have microbots with meds inside of us and monitoring our bodies to prevent illness. I can't wait. Sign me up.

I agree with OP on this...AIDS is gay...

BRUUUUAAAH!!! No!!! Never said that!

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on the DL you did.

He probably has the gay...

I think I'll wait for the cure, thanks.

For now, all we have are the "buy these pills for the rest of your life, or you're dead" drugs. Kinda like insulin, where they can keep doubling the price every few years. Diabetics will find some way to come up with the money, or they'll die! :1orglaugh

Cha-ching!

Too shame that the HIV treatment is not free in the USA... In my country the government supply the anti-HIV pills at a zero cost.

yes the USA found a gay way to cure the gay...

Go take your medicine.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

Its a good thing they found a cure for gay AIDS...now all gays are cured!...

Dude!!! Everyday you speak about GAY this GAY that. You obsessed with Gay Sex and Life Style. Is this all you think about? Everyday GAY GAY GAY. You must only see DICK's when you close your eyes. Aren't you tired?

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says the guy who started a gay aids thread :1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh