They are those who, regardless of sexual orientation, one of the members is infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the other is healthy, that is, does not have the infection. Serodiscordant Couples
For a long time, HIV-infected patients have been seen as a source of infection for the population, and protective sex is recommended for these people.
Today, with the use of more effective treatments, it is possible for the virus to disappear completely in the blood of infected people. This can be evidenced when determining the viral load.
Viral load is critical for serodiscordant couples
Viral load is the amount of HIV in the blood, so the higher the viral load, the greater the likelihood of transmission of the infection; with a lower viral load, the lower the risk . Serodiscordant Couples
Viral load is a parameter that varies according to the treatment. People who are well controlled can have an undetectable viral load, which means they have such a low level of virus in their blood that it is difficult to measure with the methods available today.
People with a low or undetectable viral load are at lower risk of developing the disease and suffering the symptoms of AIDS, as well as infecting their sexual partners.
Can discordant couples have unprotected sex?
Being a sexual partner of an HIV-infected person is a risky behavior , which is why there is a need to use a condom or condom in this type of relationship . Serodiscordant Couples
Several studies have shown that the risk of transmitting HIV depends mainly on viral load. In cases where this is undetectable, the risk of transmission becomes very low, even if it is estimated that it is close to zero, so in these cases there may be unprotected sex, as long as the couple is stable.
The recommended behavior for every couple is to get tested for HIV, as often a member of the couple is unknowingly infected , especially because this virus is no longer exclusive to homosexuals and heterosexual activity has also become a frequent source of infection. . If one partner is infected by the virus, the conduct recommended is to start treatment and maintain sexual activity with protection, since when the viral load is undetectable may be omitted protection.
