A researcher conducted interviews in 2013 and 2014 with members of 25 Australian mixed-HIV-status couples—gay, straight, and including transgender people—and found that the concept of HIV treatment as prevention (TasP) appeared to have a normalizing and affirming effect on the couples’ relationships. TasP reduced anxiety about transmission of the virus as well as HIV-related stigma and fears of entering a relationship with someone of a different HIV status. Many of the gay men saw antiretrovirals (ARVs) as an extra layer of protection on top of condom use. Other couples who had not used condoms before they learned about TasP felt reassured and validated by the notion that ARVs would lower the risk of transmission, while a few others felt they could start having sex without a condom.
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