February 12, 2008

Condom-Free Sex? Controversial Swiss Declaration

At the 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Boston, Regan Hofmann talks with Bernard Hirschel, MD, of the University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland about a controversial Swiss position paper declaring that HIV-positive people with undetectable viral loads cannot transmit HIV.

14 3/4 minutes. Click here to view the transcript.

For more on this topic click here.

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Previous Comments:

Dwight Benignus, USA, 2008-07-10 05:51:27
I was diagnosed with HIV awhile ago, and this greatly interests me. Still, even if I got my viral load down to nothing, I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't risk anal sex without a condom. Isn't the transmission rate much higher for anal sex? I think this needs to be addressed.

Jabbar Jones, Philadelphia, 2008-04-07 17:27:29
I feel that if magic johnson running round here having babies then it's not the end of the world for all people with HIV. He's been positive since the thing came out so there must be some truth to this statment again the are the doctor thanks Ellen Tedaldi at Temple hospital you make me feel like I have a chance.

POZ, New York, NY, 2008-03-20 17:02:16
The video is also available on our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/pozmagazine It is too long for YouTube.

kurtis, St Petersburg, 2008-03-19 13:41:12
It would be nice to have a youtube version of this for sharing.

Steve Kerbow, Houston, 2008-03-18 10:25:37
Informative but did not touch on gay sex as much as hetero sex. Found some of the interview rather confusing. I understand why Regan would want to talk about heterosexual sex first, but HIV/AIDS did first start in the Gay communities.

Dave Research Analyst, New York, 2008-03-05 03:15:01
In 1985, HIV (newly found) could be cultured from the majority of semen of gay men with AIDS. When most of those in the *fast lane* had died, researchers couldn't culture it except in rare cases. The incidence of HIV conversion for a receptive HIV- man was approx 1/500. Discovery of the CCR5 receptor in the anal wall (absent in tonsils) is why BB anal sex is riskier. More research on the odds NOW with HAART must be done in GAY MEN. My 5 neg bf's never converted tho we BB'd 1/10 times.

Dan, Laguna Beach, 2008-02-29 20:51:21
This is encouraging in terms of reducing HIV infections regardless of the populations studied (straight or gay). However, even with my undetectible VL, I will still use condoms to prevent the possibility of contracting Hep C, which seems to still be a lethal combination for otherwise healthy HIV+ people. Save the liver!

Stuart Carlson, Washington, DC, 2008-02-28 15:05:02
If this Swiss study had included homosexual men, it has validity. Kindly issue a caviat saying so.

Stuart Carlson, Washington, DC, 2008-02-28 15:01:14
Doctor Hirschel, you have a moral obligation to state very clearly that the tests you conducted we with hetrosexual couples. IF your conclusions were to have included Homosexual men who practice anal sex, a responsible conclusion could be made. Shame on YOU! It is your duty to act responsibily and issue an appendige to explain how limited was your study. If you believe otherwise, why did you limit your studies to leave out homosexual men?

Halbert, Texas, 2008-02-25 21:41:06
I think this advise is extremely premature and not fully documented...the CDC still (and I too) maintains that as an HIV infected person, I am still infected with HIV regardless of the viral load count...to my understanding viral load is in reference to viral activity not the presence of the virus. This statement from Switzerland sounds rather "cheesy" to me.

Michael J. Macaluso, Kissimmee, 2008-02-25 00:10:37
This is a disservice , already guys are contacting me to say we can have sex wihout transmittingthe virus, if undetectable!11Too soon and premature.. NO???

Richard, St. Louis, 2008-02-22 18:16:11
Have often wondered this myself as if a body is undectable would the virus show up in a normal blood test? Glad to have this to think about and would like to hear more about it in the future.

Jason, Seattle, 2008-02-22 17:40:31
My partner and I have had unprotected sex (before it became the fetish some have made it today) for more than 10 years now, him + and me not. His viral load in 11 years has been at its highest 5k. I'm the anal receptive partner and we do not play around with others. And to this very day, I still test negative every single time. So I tend to think maybe, just maybe there is something to this study. And for those who will ask, I do not carry the ccr5 defect in my genes.

Jessica Jonette Bratt, 14870-9510, 2008-02-22 13:48:34
hmmm..! This person should have his head examined after he pulls it out of his ***! Quit worrying about your country's budget and SOLVE THE PROBLEM!!!

Trampas Graham, Ft. Lauderdale, 2008-02-21 18:53:51
I tried to explain this to another HIV positive guy before sex; he didn't believe me, and even became angry about it. We discussed this in the local HIV positive support a year ago and I wondered when I'd see anything in the news about it. This is as 'mainstream' as the story has gone, which I find sad, because it says that the medical establishment doesn't trust me or my partner with the truth.