0:00
finding out that your partner has HIV
0:01
can be overwhelming you might feel
0:03
scared worried or even confused about
0:06
what it means for your relationship the
0:08
good news is that with the right
0:09
precautions and information you can have
0:11
a safe and healthy relationship with
0:15
HIV let's dive into some of the most
0:17
common questions about dating someone
0:19
with HIV and what you need to
0:22
know what should I do when I find out my
0:26
HIV the first thing to do when you find
0:28
out your partner has HIV is to get
0:31
tested it's important to know your own
0:33
status so you can figure out the next
0:35
steps while having sex with an HIV
0:37
positive partner does carry some risk
0:39
modern medicine offers several ways to
0:43
transmission can I remain HIV negative
0:48
HIV yes you can thanks to highly
0:51
effective treatments and prevention
0:52
methods it's entirely possible to stay
0:55
HIV negative here are a few of the ways
0:57
you can protect yourself
1:00
one anti-retroviral therapy art if your
1:03
partner is taking art as prescribed the
1:05
virus can be suppressed to undetectable
1:07
levels meaning they won't be able to
1:09
transmit the virus to
1:11
you two condoms always using condoms can
1:15
significantly lower the risk of HIV
1:19
transmission three pre-exposure
1:21
prophylaxis Prep Prep is a daily pill
1:24
for the HIV negative partner that
1:27
HIV four post exposure your prophylaxis
1:30
pep if you've been exposed to HIV pep is
1:33
an emergency medication you can take
1:35
within 72 hours to prevent
1:38
infection these methods are highly
1:40
effective and combining them can offer
1:44
protection is it safe to be in a
1:46
relationship with someone who has
1:48
HIV absolutely it is safe to be in a
1:51
relationship with someone who has HIV as
1:54
long as you take the proper precautions
1:56
both you and your partner should get
2:00
the HIV positive partner should keep up
2:02
with their doctor's appointments to
2:03
monitor their viral load and CD4 count
2:06
while the HIV negative partner should
2:08
also get routine HIV testing with
2:10
consistent treatment and communication
2:12
there's no reason why your relationship
2:15
Thrive is sex off the
2:18
table no sex is definitely not off the
2:21
table if your partner has HIV however
2:23
there are precautions you'll need to
2:25
take especially early on it's important
2:28
to know that the risk of HIV trans
2:29
transmission varies based on the type of
2:31
sexual activity for instance anal or
2:34
vaginal intercourse carries a higher
2:38
sex until your partner's viral load is
2:41
confirmed to be undetectable for at
2:42
least 6 months it's wise to continue
2:44
using condoms or consider prep once the
2:48
viral load is undetectable the risk of
2:50
transmission is essentially zero meaning
2:53
you can enjoy a full sexual relationship
2:55
without fear of HIV transmission as long
2:58
as your partner sticks to their
3:01
Can HIV be transmitted through kissing
3:05
food HIV cannot be transmitted through
3:08
casual contact like kissing or sharing
3:10
food the only way HIV could be spread
3:12
through kissing is if both Partners have
3:14
open mouth sores or bleeding gums which
3:16
is extremely rare for the most part
3:20
kissing and sharing meals with your
3:23
safe what does it mean if my partner has
3:26
an undetectable viral
3:28
load if your partner is on Art and their
3:31
viral load is undetectable it means the
3:33
amount of HIV in their blood is so low
3:35
that standard lab tests can't detect it
3:38
this is a great sign it means the
3:40
treatment is working and that they are
3:42
unlikely to transmit HIV to anyone else
3:46
you as long as your partner continues to
3:48
take their medication daily their viral
3:51
load should remain undetectable however
3:53
if they sto taking their medication
3:55
their viral load could increase which
3:57
would raise the risk of transmission
4:00
do I need to take prep if my partner is
4:04
undetectable if your partner's HIV is
4:06
undetectable and your relationship is
4:08
monogamous prep may not be necessary
4:11
however some people feel more
4:12
comfortable taking prep as an extra
4:15
protection if your relationship isn't
4:18
monogamous or your partner's viral load
4:20
isn't undetectable prep is a good option
4:24
HIV should I get tested for HIV
4:27
regularly yes regular testing is a good
4:30
idea if you're dating someone with HIV
4:32
while your partner's viral load might be
4:34
undetectable it's still wise to get
4:36
tested at least once a year if your
4:38
relationship isn't monogamous you might
4:40
want to get tested more frequently such
4:42
as every 3 to 6 months regular HIV
4:45
testing is just good preventive
4:47
healthare and it can give you peace of
4:50
mind how can I support my partner
4:53
supporting a partner with HIV can mean
4:55
many things emotionally just being there
4:58
to listen and offer support is is
4:59
crucial on a practical level helping
5:02
them remember to take their medications
5:04
every day is one of the best things you
5:05
can do remind them to attend their
5:08
doctor's appointments stay consistent
5:10
with their treatment and continue
5:12
checking their viral load to ensure it
5:16
undetectable in summary dating someone
5:18
with HIV doesn't mean you're at risk if
5:20
you take the right precautions between
5:23
art prep condoms and regular checkups
5:25
it's possible to enjoy a fulfilling and
5:27
healthy relationship without fear
5:30
the most important thing is open
5:32
communication and staying informed about
5:35
management by taking these steps you and
5:38
your partner can continue to build your
5:40
relationship while staying safe
