Lorraine's story

The risk of me passing on HIV is not something that occupies my mind on a minute by minute basis but, being the positive partner in a sero-discordant heterosexual relationship, I do want to do everything I can to ensure that my partner remains negative, while still being able to have a sexual relationship with him.

I was diagnosed whilst pregnant 10 months ago and currently do not require HAART, though I was on treatment during my pregnancy to avoid transmission to my baby.

I have read with interest the recent publicity surrounding the HPTN052 study and am mulling over the option of commencing HAART as a means of not only controlling the virus in my own body but further reducing the risk of transmission to my partner.

Obviously safer sex through the use of condoms would always be required but I feel it would make me more comfortable to know that if there were a condom failure the risk to my partner would be reduced if I were on an effective treatment regime.

I had expected a certain amount of resistance from my HIV consultant when I broached the subject, and to be fair he wanted to know that I had fully considered all options, that once I started treatment there was possibly no going back, and the potential for side effects due to exposure to treatment for a longer period of time than if I followed the current recommended treatment initiation algorithm. I am now considering which combination would work best for me, and will commence treatment next month.

In a way I think this is an easier decision for me to make now that I have already experienced HAART during my pregnancy so I (to a certain extent) know what I am letting myself in for in terms of the need for adherence and the initial side effects.

I would encourage anyone considering treatment to reduce the risk of transmission to discuss their options with their doctor.

The PARTNER Study is currently recruiting serodiscordant couples across the UK. Gay male couples are particularly encouraged to enrol in this study, as there is little data on sex between men. Please click on the link for more info, including participating clinics with contact details.
http://partnerstudy.eu/Home.aspx 

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