An undetectable viral load is where antiretroviral treatment (ART) has reduced your HIV to such small quantities that it can no longer be detected by standard blood tests. People living with HIV who have an undetectable viral load cannot pass HIV on through sex. Being undetectable does not mean your HIV is cured.

What does it mean when a guy is undetectable?

Having an undetectable viral load does mean that there is not enough HIV in your body fluids to pass HIV on during sex. In other words, you are not infectious. For as long as your viral load stays undetectable, your chance of passing on HIV to a sexual partner is zero.

Does undetectable mean positive?

“Undetectable” does not mean “cured.” An undetectable viral load means that so few copies of the virus are present in the blood that todays monitoring tests are unable to detect them. Even with an undetectable viral load, however, an HIV-positive person still is HIV-positive.

Do I need PrEP if my partner is undetectable?

PrEP and/ or condoms are not necessary to prevent HIV when the sexual partner has an undetectable viral load. Having an undetectable viral load, using PrEP and using condoms are all HIV prevention strategies that people can choose to use alone or in combination.

How long can a person be undetectable?

A persons viral load is considered “durably undetectable” when all viral load test results are undetectable for at least six months after their first undetectable test result. This means that most people will need to be on treatment for 7 to 12 months to have a durably undetectable viral load.