LIVING WITH HIV

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If you're living with someone who has been diagnosed with HIV, whether this is a partner, friend, family member, or roommate, there are many things you can do to support their HIV journey.

Many people who are not living with HIV maintain close and intimate relationships with partners who are living with HIV. These relationships are sometimes called 'serodiscordant' or 'serodifferent.[1] With modern treatments and preventive measures, couples in serodiscordant relationships can enjoy long and fulfilling lives together.[1]

In a Positive Perspectives Survey:[2]

0%
0%
0%

of people living with HIV looked to their partners for emotional support

relied on partners to help with medication reminders

wanted help and support in decisions around the topics they needed to discuss with their doctors

SUPPORTING A FRIEND OR PARTNER WHO HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH HIV

Receiving an HIV diagnosis can be challenging, but providing understanding, care, and patience is crucial to help people living with HIV navigate this significant life change.[3]

  • Listening and talking about HIV

    Open communication is key to supporting people who have been diagnosed with HIV. It’s important to have honest conversations about feelings, fears, and concerns. It’s also helpful and supportive to listen without judgement. Listening can help someone to alleviate some of the emotional burden associated with an HIV diagnosis, strengthening your relationship.[4]

  • Educating yourself about HIV

    Educating yourself about HIV is another important step. By understanding how the virus works, its effects on the body, and available HIV treatments, you’ll be better equipped to support your friend, family member, or partner.[4] Knowledge can also empower you to combat stigma and discrimination, helping you to be a strong advocate for people living with HIV.[5]

  • Seek out help and support

    Encourage someone living with HIV to seek out support. Support groups can be valuable, offering a sense of community and shared experiences.[4,6] You can find a list of helpful resources for support within our living with HIV page.

  • Encourage treatment use and adherence to medication

    One of the most important ways to support someone who is living with HIV is by encouraging them to start and adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART).[4] ART helps reduce the viral load in their body, ideally making it undetectable. An undetectable viral load means the virus is not transmissible to others through sexual contact, ‘Undetectable equals Untransmittable’ (U=U), allowing people living with HIV to live a healthier life and protect those around them.[4]

  • Encourage frequent HIV testing (if required)

    If your partner living with HIV has an undetectable viral load, the likelihood of transmission through sexual contact is zero.[4] In such cases, routine HIV testing for the HIV-negative partner may not be necessary unless circumstances change, such as lapses in medication adherence or detectable viral loads.

  • Avoid sharing needles

    If you are a person who injects drugs (PWID) you are much more likely to contract HIV if you share needles or syringes.[7] To reduce the risk, always use a new, sterile needle and syringe for each injection.[8] Many communities also offer needle exchange programs where you can get clean needles and safely dispose of used ones.[8]

  • Have a strategy if someone bleeds (with a detectable viral load)

    if you live with someone who is HIV-positive, and they have a detectable viral load, you may wish to take precautions if they bleed. The risk of HIV transmission in household settings is generally very low, but taking precautions when handling blood or other potentially infectious materials is a good practice for preventing the spread of various blood-borne pathogens, not just HIV.[9,10]

Michael provides advice on being the partner of someone living with HIV

In this video, Michael provides advice to other people living with an HIV-positive partner about making sure they are informed about HIV. Michael has been there for Mortiz, from the beginning of his HIV journey and they are planning for a long future together.

HIV AND SEXUAL ACTIVITIES

If you or your partner are living with HIV, you can still enjoy a sexual relationship. As HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sex, preventative measures should be taken by those in a serodiscordant relationship.

Different sexual activities can carry different levels of risk for HIV transmission:[11]

  • Anal sex carries a higher risk of HIV transmission than other types of sex, with receptive anal sex (bottoming) being the highest risk.[11] Insertive anal sex (topping) also poses a risk, though it is lower.
  • Vaginal sex has a lower risk of HIV transmission, but protection is still important.
  • While the risk of contracting HIV through oral sex is extremely rare.

PrEP and PEP

People without HIV who are living with someone who is HIV-positive may want to consider preventive HIV medications to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV, especially if their partner has a detectable viral load

  • PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a daily pill for people without HIV who are at high risk of acquiring the virus. It can reduce the likelihood of contracting HIV from sexual contact by up to 99% when taken consistently, making it an effective option for those in a relationship with an HIV-positive partner.[1,2,5]
  • PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) is an emergency treatment taken within 72 hours after potential HIV exposure, such as unprotected sex with an HIV-positive partner, or encountering HIV-positive blood in your own bloodstream. It involves a 28-day course of HIV medications to prevent the virus from spreading in the body and is only for emergency use.[1,3,6]

Condoms

You should use condoms during sex, especially if the HIV-positive person has a detectable viral load. Condoms made from durable materials like latex are recommended; avoid natural materials, which do not protect against HIV. Correct condom use is also the key to preventing breaks or malfunctions.[7]

Lubrication

Lubricants can further reduce HIV risk by decreasing friction and preventing condom failure. Always choose water- or silicone-based lubricants with latex condoms, as oil-based lubricants can weaken latex.[7] Avoid spermicidal lubricants containing nonoxynol-9 (N-9), as they may cause irritation and increase the risk of 
HIV transmission.[1,4,7]

MIsconceptIons about HIV transmIssIon

It's important to know that many common fears about living with someone with HIV are based on misconceptions.[15] HIV is only transmitted through specific bodily fluids from a person who has a detectable viral load. These fluids include blood, semen and pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk.[16]

When considering how to live with someone with HIV, it’s crucial to understand that HIV is not spread through casual contact. This means it is completely safe to:[15]

  • Be near someone when they sneeze or cough
  • Hug, shake hands, or engage in other forms of casual touch

Only someone with a detectable viral load can transmit HIV through unprotected sex, sharing needles, or other direct contact with these fluids. Remember, U = U.[16]

Xiana and Patricia chat about Xiana’s journey with HIV

Listen to Xiana as she talks about her journey with HIV, including her relationship with Patricia. They discuss how Xiana was worried immediately after her diagnosis about sharing food and utensils with friends and families.

References:

  1. AIDSMAP. I’m starting a relationship with someone who has HIV, what do I need to know? 2023. Available from: https://www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/faq/im-starting-relationship-someone-who-has-hiv-what-do-i-need-know. [Accessed August 2024]
  2. The Positive Perspectives Survey Report A view into the lives of people living with HIV. 2017. Available from: https://edgesuite.gskstatic.com/Viiv/viivhealthcare/pdf_files/master/main/positive-perspectives-survey-report-finalcompressed.pdf. [Accessed August 2024]
  3. NHS.UK. HIV and AIDS - Coping with a positive HIV test. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/coping-with-a-positive-hiv-test/. [Accessed August 2024] 
  4. HIV.GOV. Supporting Someone with HIV . HIV.gov. 2024 . Available from: https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/making-a-difference/supporting-someone-living-with-hiv. [Accessed August 2024] 
  5. Hopkins Medicine. Dealing with Discrimination When You Have HIV. 2024. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/hiv-and-aids/dealing-with-discrimination-when-you-have-hiv. [Accessed August 2024]
  6. Healthtalk. HIV support groups. 2022. Available from: https://healthtalk.org/experiences/hiv/hiv-support-groups/. [Accessed August 2024] 
  7. NHS.UK HIV and AIDS - Prevention. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/prevention/. [Accessed August 2024]
  8. CDC. Injection Drug Use. 2022. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/drugs/index.html. [Accessed August 2024] 
  9. CDC. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission in Household Settings -- United States. 1994. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00030972.html. [Accessed August 2024]
  10. DeHaan E, McGowan JP, Fine SM, Vail R, Merrick ST, Radix A, et al. PEP to Prevent HIV Infection. 2022 Aug 11 ; Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562734/. [Accessed August 2024]
  11. CDC. HIV Risk Behaviors. 2019. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/estimates/riskbehaviors.html. [Accessed August 2024]
  12. HIV.GOV. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.2024 . Available from: https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-prevention/using-hiv-medication-to-reduce-risk/pre-exposure-prophylaxis. [Accessed August 2024]
  13. HIV.GOV. Post-Exposure Prophylaxis. 2023 . Available from: https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-prevention/using-hiv-medication-to-reduce-risk/post-exposure-prophylaxis. [Accessed August 2024]
  14. WHO.int. Nonoxynol-9 ineffective in preventing HIV infection.  Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/28-06-2002-nonoxynol-9-ineffective-in-preventing-hiv-infection. [Accessed August 2024] 
  15. THT. Myths about HIV. Available from: https://www.tht.org.uk/hiv/myths-about-hiv. [Accessed August 2024] 
  16. HIV.GOV. How Is HIV Transmitted? . HIV.gov. 2022 . Available from: https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/how-is-hiv-transmitted. [Accessed August 2024]

NP-GBL-HVX-COCO-250001 February 2025

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the package leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the GSK Reporting Tool link https://gsk.public.reportum.com/. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

If you are from outside the UK, you can report adverse events to GSK/ ViiV by selecting your region and market, here.