The article tries to explain hw it is IMPOSIBLE to transmit HIV sexually if your HIV positive partner in a discordant relationship is adhering to treatment.
Adherence simply means swallowing the right drugs/pills in right doses at the right time or patient compliance to prescription.
Adherence can be assessed using viral load test or pill count. When pill count is used, for good adherence, one should score at least 95%. 100% is better to achieve Undetectable targeted viral load in blood.
We’ll illuminate more on adherence in the subsequent editions’ articles, let us exhaust U=U campaign for now.
When a person adheres to their HIV medications (Read ARVs), it significantly lowers the level of HIV (viral load) in blood.
At this stage, semen and vaginal secretions are free of the virus and this makes it impossible to sexually transmit HIV.
The scientific evidence gathered over the course of the studies showed NO single transmission from HIV virally suppressed partner to the negative one.
According to the 2018 Consolidated Guidelines for prevention and treatment of HIV in Uganda, a viral load test is carried out annually for stable clients. The new clients starting Antiretroviral therapy (ARVs/ ART), they are tested at six months, one year and annually thereafter. For Pregnant, breast feeding mothers and children, the testing is biannual.
I hope this explains the myth that Blood group O people do not catch HIV since they have ‘strong’ blood.
This should not serve as an excuse to stop effective and consistent use of condoms given the risk of unplanned pregnancies and other sexually transmitted infections.
Discordant couples wishing to procreate should find this information reassuring.
Dr. Samboozi Nobert is a Medical Officer, AIDS HEALTH FOUNDATION – UGANDA CARES
