Modern HIV therapy: sex without risk

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.

With modern drugs, HIV infections can be controlled so well that sex is possible without the risk of infection. However, word of that still has to get around.

Infecting your partner during sex - this is a major concern for many people infected with HIV. But modern AIDS drugs can reliably prevent this: They reduce the viral load in the blood below the detection limit. Infecting others is then no longer an issue - whether through semen, vaginal secretions, blood or breast milk.

One of those who have benefited from modern therapies is Christopher. "When I received my HIV diagnosis in 2014, a world collapsed for me," reports the 38-year-old in a video clip from the German AIDS Foundation. "I felt as if I no longer had access to people." To learn that HIV is no longer transmissible under medication was an incredible relief.

Reduce stigmata against infected people

Just like Christoph before his diagnosis, many today still do not know about the possibilities of modern HIV therapies. Knowledge can help to overcome shyness and stigmata when dealing with infected people. Deutsche Aidshilfe draws attention to this on the occasion of World AIDS Day on December 1st.

The foundation has already achieved some success with its campaign under the hashtag #wissenverdoppeln. Since 2017, the number of people informed has almost doubled from 10 to 18 percent. “We'll keep going until everyone is in the know and fear of contact with people with HIV is a thing of the past,” says Winfried Holz from the board of directors of Deutsche Aids-Hilfe.

Sex 100,000 times without infection

Several large studies have shown that HIV cannot be transmitted if the viral load is sufficiently suppressed with medication. Thousands of mixed HIV-positive-negative couples were observed who had sex more than 100,000 times without a condom - none of them had the uninfected partner infected. Sexuality without fears is finally possible even in the case of an HIV infection.

Information can also remove irrational fears in everyday life. It is true that there has never been a risk of contracting HIV while working together, playing sports or using the famous shared drinking glass. But such fears persist even today.

There are still large gaps in knowledge

A survey by the Federal Center for Health Education among 1,000 citizens showed that a third have concerns about using the same dishes as those infected with HIV. Around a quarter do not want to use the same toilet.

Physical contact is also still burdened with considerable uncertainty: 15 percent would have inhibitions about hugging an HIV-positive person, half would be afraid of a kiss. Three quarters of the respondents would probably or certainly not have sex with an infected person - not even with a condom. More education could dispel such prejudices.

"Have normal dates again"

Christopher says: "When I got the diagnosis, I thought: Okay, that's it, I'll never be able to become a father. Just the thought that, despite the infection, I can have a family in the future without endangering my partner, without having an HIV-positive child, is an incredible relief. ”Today, his life with HIV looks completely normal. "I can travel, I can have sex, I can do my dream job."

The single is particularly happy when he meets a woman who is well informed about HIV while dating. He does not need to worry about scaring off a woman he likes with his infection. "Then it's just a completely normal date."

Further information on the campaign is available at https://wissen-verdoppeln.hiv/

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