Unprotected SexThe questions below were raised by visitors to the STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print) website in the AskST section of the website. eMenders doctors provided the answers to the questions raised as a public health education project. The information provided below is of a general nature and should not be treated as a replacement for medical advice. You should seek consultation from a medical or healthcare professional about your specific medical condition.
Question:
My partner and I are homosexuals. My partner resides in Holland. Before we started our relationship he told me that he is HIV positive but it's under control and he is taking medication and does routine blood checks with the hospital. So my question is can I still have sex with him like kissing him and having intercourse with him using condoms? Can I have sexual intercourse with him without the use of protection if I want to? Is it safe to do such things? Please advise me.
Answer:
All infected HIV individuals can transmit the virus to others via sexual intercourse or other means. The degree of infectiousness varies with the stage of disease and the mode of transmission.
What is 'under control' ? This term can mean different things to different people. We generally take an undetectable viral load (< 50 copies) and normal CD4 counts in an asymptomatic patient as 'well controlled'.
Kissing carries a trivial risk and the presence of oral lesions and blood in the saliva can increase this risk. Condoms provide good protection against sexually transmitted diseases if used correctly - but accidents can happen. If used correctly, it gives > 97 % protection. Unprotected sex (not using a condom) increases one's risk of acquiring disease. As long as you are aware of the risk, you can make an informed decision about having unprotected sex but this is not advisable.
DR. LAM MUN SAN is a Consultant Infectious Disease Physician at the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre and a Visiting Consultant to the Singapore General Hospital.