ehuffnsd said:

Okay

http://www.poz.com/articl...3922.shtml


January 30, 2008

Experts Say Positive People on Effective HIV Meds Aren’t Sexually Infectious
The Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS has issued the first-ever consensus statement saying that HIV-positive people who are effectively on antiretroviral therapy, and who do not have any other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), cannot transmit HIV during sex, reports Aidsmap.com (aidsmap.com, 1/30).

The statement, issued by four Swiss HIV experts, is published in this week’s Bulletin of Swiss Medicine. According to the announcement, “an HIV-infected person on antiretroviral therapy with completely suppressed viraemia (“effective ART”) is not sexually infectious, i.e. cannot transmit HIV through sexual contact.”

The commission says that this statement is valid so long as the following criteria are met: the person adheres to antiretroviral therapy that is evaluated regularly by his or her physician; the person’s viral load has been suppressed (<40 copies/ml) for a minimum of six months; and the person does not have any other sexually transmitted infections.

The commission’s article in the Bulletin begins by stating that the commission “realizes that medical and biologic data available today do not permit proof that HIV infection during effective antiretroviral therapy is impossible, because the non-occurrence of an improbable event cannot be proven… The situation is analogous to 1986, when the statement ‘HIV cannot be transmitted by kissing’ was publicized. This statement has not been proven, but after 20 years’ experience its accuracy appears highly plausible.”

The commission says it “is not for the time being considering recommendations that HIV-positive individuals start treatment purely for preventative measures.” It also says that it is not advocating a change in current HIV prevention strategies in Switzerland. However, it does state that an HIV-positive person in a stable relationship with a person who does not have HIV, who adheres to their antiretroviral treatment and does not have an STI is “not putting their partner at risk of transmission by sexual contact.”


i just thought this was interesting.

congratulations! good luck

horatio said:

Wow.

Just, wow.

PS - Can you please edit your title to say you are "accepting" questions?

Thanks.

horatio said:

So completely irresponsible of them.

CarrieMpls said:

i noticed that yesterday but just haven't gotten around to it!

ehuffnsd said:

And congrats and good luck. And be careful.

VoicesCarry said:

do you think the STOP AIDS project in SF is wrong for encouraging poz guys to bareback with other poz guys as a way to stop infecting negative people?

ehuffnsd said:

Absolutely. For several reasons:

1. There are STD's other than AIDS, and those STD's can be extremely dangerous for HIV positive individuals.

2. Co-infection with multiple HIV strains only hastens the development of hyper-resistant strains.

If they're fucking stupid, they'll continue to bareback.

ehuffnsd said:

yes. that's just stupid.

VoicesCarry said:

Yes, I agree with you. It's totally irresponsible.

Did they call back? Did you decide?

VoicesCarry said:

co infection has only been proven in new cases of HIV, those all ready positive have no cases of reinfection.

by the way. this campaign is credited with the drop of new infection in SF.

MoniGram said:

i talked to the casting director and they want me. asked me to do a military hair cut and gave three dates

March 13th my bday and the 20th anniversay party for work so i can't do that

and either April 18 or 19

the director of the particular movie sent me an email and wants me to call him.

ehuffnsd said:

It has been a concern raised for some time by virologists. Only proven in new cases simply means the studies on the long-infected haven't been done yet. Common sense.

It may have been credited with the drop in new cases (there are so many prevention efforts ongoing in SF that it's actually spurious of them to suggest this), but that's not even the issue. Poz barebacking with poz is not going to lead to new infection, obviously. Just exacerbate the situation among the infected.

Nobody should be barebacking. I have no idea why guys can't get this through their thick fucking skulls. It angers me to no end.

VoicesCarry said:

i have this discussion with my doctor every couple of years. there is no scientific proof of re-infection in those all ready positive. therefore it's a scare tatic similar to MRSA scare a couple weeks ago.

anybody else keep reading this as "and accepting applications" ? heheh

i'm a fan ehuffnsd you are a good man
now rock those leathers!

ehuffnsd said:

No, it isn't.

Look, if you know the science, you know there's a very good possibility that coinfection with multiple strains could easily lead to the development of hyper-resistant strains. If it's not proven in long-infected individuals yet, who gives a shit? It makes sense not to be sticking your unwrapped dick in other men, period. I do not understand people who rationalize their unsafe fucking to the point where it takes priority over their health and the health of others. And, yes, sometimes I get angry at my own community for perpetuating this sort of bullshit.
[Edited 3/4/08 11:31am]

VoicesCarry said:

when you know you have maybe a life expectancy of 20yrs and have to face the reality every single day of how much time you may or may not have you realize that if you find someone in the same situation you just want to enjoy a moment of not feeling like an leper or pirrarh and just want be normal.

ehuffnsd said:

What the hell does that have to do with unsafe sex? You can't enjoy that moment without going raw?
[Edited 3/4/08 11:40am]

VoicesCarry said:

my choices with other postive guys are my choices. and not open for debate.

ehuffnsd said:

Somehow I feel like a pariah in my own community because I don't do open relationships, and I don't have unsafe sex. Now that's sad.

VoicesCarry said:

This, in its essence, is the reason I read this entire thread - I wanted to see if somebody would bring up what VoicesCarry says. I have a very good friend (unfortunately we've lost touch) who's positive and for the first couple of years he would go bareback with other positive guys. He did it because he loathed himself for being stupid in the first place and it took a while until he understood that being positive doesn't mean dead. Now as far as I know he's protecting himself and like VoicesCarry says it's incredibly stupid to promote something like that. Two positives DOES make a negative in this case.

Edit: It took a looong time for the scientists to figure out wth this virus is and we STILL don't know exactly. Therefore it makes absolute sense that cases of reinfection/hyper-resistance will take a long time to figure out/manifest, does "it hasn't happened yet" really justify putting yourself and everybody else you have sex with at risk? Life expectancy of 20 years NOTHING, what if they find a cure for the strain you got infected with first in 2 years but you reinfected yourself with 3 others that couldn't be cured yet? This virus is the most malevolent in the world imo cos it mutates so fast. The fact that infection can't even be proven until a certain amount of time has passed only tells us that it has more shit up its sleeve.

Ehuffnsd, be safe and never do anything you don't feel comfortable with.
[Edited 3/4/08 12:00pm]

VoicesCarry said:

Don't feel that way at all. I'm the EXACT same way. They can't accept it, then they can kick rocks. Don't compromise your health for ANYONE VC.

VoicesCarry said:

no. it's really a minority that does open relationships unsafe sex i think is common though.

This is a fascinating topic here ehuffnsd. I don't have any questions but I just want to wish you the best with whatever you decide to do. Just keep doing you and make sure those folks don't make you do something that you don't feel comfortable doing. And if you do movies, let us know cause I will buy it.

Teacher said:

Yes, there is a lot of self-hate in the community. I think it drives a lot of guys to unsafe behaviour and destructive relationships, unfortunately.
[Edited 3/4/08 12:11pm]

purplecam said:

I never would.

purplecam said:

this is bringing up alot of things for me that i never really thought about before. i've always been a little on the sexually generous side of things.

but i'm very torn on this. i know they are interested. but i keep telling myself that i'm not what they are looking for and that's what's keeping me from saying yes.

i don't think think i'm attractive and somehow i'd get up to the city and they'd turn me down.