Depending on undetectable viral load as a strategy can be less effective if an HIV-positive person isn’t able to maintain his viral load at undetectable levels. HIV is still unlikely to be transmitted even with low, but detectable viral loads. However, if someone no longer has an undetectable viral load, it is much less dependable as a sexual health strategy.

This kind of change in viral load may be the result of difficulty taking medication consistently or other changes in health. Also, it can be difficult for some folks to reach an undetectable HIV viral load for reasons out of their control. Reasons can include HIV resistance to treatment, cancer, access to treatment, or other health conditions. After someone starts HIV treatment, they will need to have two undetectable viral load tests in a row to depend on this strategy to prevent passing on HIV to sexual partners.

We all have a lot going on, and aren’t always able to take care of ourselves and adhere to our medications. If you are experiencing challenges around taking your medications consistently, you have support options. Try setting alarms in your phone, using a calendar, or putting a post in note by your toothbrush. Some people find pill organizer cases helpful. Post-it notes in conspicuous places in your apartment, recording your doses, carrying extra pills around with you, or flipping your pill bottle upside down every day once you’ve taken your meds can also be useful strategies. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or reach out to your local HIV/AIDS service organization (like us at HEAL NS) for more help.

Whether you’re taking HIV meds because you’re HIV-positive, or because you are on PrEP, being consistent is really important for the effectiveness of the strategy. Most of the time, folks are able to maintain undetectable status once they reach it. If your viral load is going up and down each time it’s tested, talk with your doctor about why that might be happening and consider using additional strategies like condoms or PrEP with your sexual partners.

For HIV-positive people on treatment, the best bet to maintain an undetectable HIV viral load is to stick to treatment as prescribed and make regular visits to a doctor to monitor your viral load. When you’re undetectable you protect both your health and prevent new HIV infections.

Regardless of HIV status, think about the kind of sex you want to have and openly discuss the use of sexual health strategies like undetectable viral load. Talk with each other! If you’re HIV negative, using other strategies like PrEP can provide additional peace of mind.

Using condoms when one partner has an undetectable viral load may seem unnecessary, but has the advantage of protecting everyone involved from getting other STIs. Test frequently for STIs and if you have one, get it treated right away.

Life can pose challenges, and sometimes the way the society treats our 2SLGBTQIA+ identities can make these challenges bigger, more frequent, or harder to cope with. There are lots of factors that can make us feel alone, like HIV stigma, stress, anxiety, depression, ableism, racism, violence, relationship issues, substance use… the list goes on. Dealing with this kind of stuff doesn’t have to be something you do on your own — there’s help out there.

Counselors, coaches, therapists, and other mental health practitioners can help you think through the problems going on in your life and offer you help to solve them. It can take some courage, but finding someone to talk to can help you get through difficult times and issues that don’t seem to go away.

So take care of yourself. Get support. You can check out our mental health section to learn more about taking care of yourself and the resources available to you as a 2SLGBTQIA+ person living in Nova Scotia.

No. But for a lot of HIV-positive folks, having an undetectable HIV viral load is a big relief, since it helps people living with HIV to have good health, makes it easier to have sex and relationships, and also prevents the transmission of HIV. Testing for HIV, getting diagnosed early, connected to HIV care and maintaining an undetectable viral load provides the best possible health outcomes for HIV positive folk.

If an HIV-positive person has an undetectable HIV viral load, this is a 100% effective strategy for preventing HIV just like condoms and PrEP. Studies show that people living with HIV who are on treatment and have an undetectable viral load do not transmit HIV to their HIV-negative sexual partners. That being said, it is important to still consider other STIs and have conversations around testing, risk levels, and if sex without a condom is right for you and your partner.

If you’re HIV-negative, using PrEP can add extra reassurance if you aren’t using condoms, especially with anonymous and casual sex partners where you may not know how often they get their viral load checked. Neither strategy protects you from other STIs. It’s always important to openly discuss and negotiate sexual health strategies like condoms, PrEP and undetectable viral load.

Some people wonder if they’ll get into legal trouble if they don’t share their HIV status. Check out our section on HIV Disclosure to learn more about this topic.