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Questions from our readers have been streaming in after #Trending sex columnist Jade Zwane’s article on dealing with HIV and Aids in a relationship. Here are her answers:
Hi Jade. Can I get infected with HIV if I engage in oral sex with my female partner who is HIV positive?
It is only on rare occasions that one gets HIV from oral sex.
Only 3% of infections are related to oral sex. This percentage could in reality be far lower. The highest risk is from anal and vaginal sex. Also, if a person has fresh cuts and sores that are open and bleeding in the mouth, HIV can possibly enter through these open sores and cuts.
As I mentioned, this is rare. So the risk of HIV being transmitted through oral sex is very low.
Hi, my partner and I are HIV positive and want a baby. Please advise us because we are worried about reinfection. How can we go about the pregnancy?
It is important to understand that when both partners are HIV positive and have undetectable viral loads, the risk of reinfection is very low. The problem arises when one of the partners develops a drug resistance. This generally happens when they start missing doses of medication regularly. This is dangerous because the resistant strain can be transmitted to you and results in reinfection.
If neither of you has a resistance, or you both have the same resistance, you shouldn’t worry about reinfection.
This means it is very important for you both to have a knowledge of each other’s treatment history.
Also, take your medication regularly to get your viral load to undetectable limits. I recommend that you also talk to your doctor about your desire to conceive so that, once pregnant, your doctor can put you on the appropriate medication to ensure your baby is not infected.
Hi, my husband found out last week that he is HIV positive. He is taking Atroiza, but he’s becoming weak and losing weight. What is the problem?
I am glad to hear your husband is on treatment. Atroiza is an antiretroviral (ARV) regimen that contains the drug efavirenz, which has side effects such as dizziness, mood swings and weight loss.
They usually improve over time, but for some, the effects become severe or there’s no improvement at all. To ease your worry, it’s important for you both to speak to your doctor to assess the severity of the side effects.
Is a sexual activity like inserting fingers into the vagina of an HIV-positive partner risky? If so, how?
Theoretically, it is possible to transmit HIV like this if one partner has open sores/cuts in the vagina or rectum and the other has open cuts/sores on the fingers. But these sores and/or cuts have to be fresh, open and bleeding.
Even in this scenario, it’s highly unlikely to transmit HIV in this way and there is not much documentation on people infected through fingering.
What forms of sex should be avoided at all costs if one is HIV positive?
Unprotected vaginal and anal sex. If you are HIV positive, always use a condom to protect yourself and your partner.
I am HIV negative. If I have a partner who is HIV positive and I use her ARV tablets after a condom breaks, will that help in reducing an HIV infection? Are there any specific drugs to prevent HIV from entering my body?
Under no circumstances should you use someone else’s ARVs. There are specific drugs (post-exposure prophylaxis) that are administered immediately after one has been exposed to HIV. Consult your clinic to get the correct treatment.
Can one buy post-exposure prophylaxis without a prescription?
No. It has to be prescribed by a doctor.
