Information about the video
What does undetectable viral load mean?
If you are undetectable you cannot pass on HIV.
In September, 2017, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that “people who take HIV treatments daily as prescribed and achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner.”
Professor Sharon Lewin, from the University of Melbourne’s Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, says that while it varies from person to person, people living with HIV generally achieve an undetectable viral load – measured through a blood test – after a month of taking antiretroviral medication.
“By six months we would expect nearly every patient to have an undetectable viral load. If a patient didn’t have an undetectable viral load by six months, we would then look at changing their treatment.”
“Together, that data tells us that the risk of transmitting the virus sexually, if your viral load is undetectable, is zero,” Professor Lewin says.
If someone is undetectable will they still test positive for HIV?
People with an undetectable viral load will still test positive for HIV. However as long as they take treatment they can have another test which indicates how much virus is in their blood and whether they have an undetectable viral load.
So stay in touch with your HIV doctor, keep taking your medications and live your life happy, positive and free!
If someone with HIV kisses me or licks me will I get HIV?
No HIV cannot be transmitted by saliva whether or not the person is taking HIV treatments.
Most of your daily activities pose no risk of HIV transmission. Only certain body fluids — blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk — can spread HIV.
It can’t be transmitted via saliva, sweat, skin, or urine.