How It Works

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With the help of effective HIV treatments, poz guys can reduce their viral load to become undetectable.

Guys who have HIV can have a full, and long life by getting diagnosed early, starting treatment soon after and taking their medications as prescribed — and what’s more, having and maintaining an undetectable viral load prevents the transmission of HIV to sexual partners. After a poz guy starts treatment, he should have two undetectable viral load tests in a row to depend on this strategy to prevent passing on HIV to sexual partners. Once you start treatment see your doctor and test your viral load on a regular basis.

Being undetectable doesn’t protect you or anyone else from other STIs. For this reason, guys might still want to use condoms as part of their sexual health strategy, and test regularly for STIs so that they can access treatment quickly if necessary.

Not every guy can reach an undetectable viral load easily. Reaching undetectable status might be difficult for a few reasons, including the strain of HIV, different treatment options, or difficulty with taking medication consistently.