German Risk Statement
posted: 27/04/2009
We have had the Swiss Statement, now their neighbours, the Germans, have issued their own on the risks of HIV transmission from people taking HIV treatment successfully.
The Swiss told us last year that people on HIV treatment, if they meet certain conditions, can be considered uninfectious. Now the largest HIV voluntary sector organisation in Germany, Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe, has issued a paper largely supporting this statement.
The German paper describes sexual transmission, where the HIV-positive partner is
- adhering to effective combination therapy,
- has had an undetectable viral load for the last six months and
- has no sexually transmitted infections,
as ‘unlikely’ and describe this as being as effective as using condoms. They add that it is also important that there is no other damage to either person’s mucous membranes.
Stable, long-term different-HIV-status relationships
Both the German and Swiss organisations say their statements are relevant to stable, long-term relationships where one partner has HIV. After the couple has made a decision, based on good information and advice, regular viral load testing and sexual health check-ups are recommended.
HIV is sometimes found in semen even though it is undetectable in blood.
However, Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe argues that relying on effective treatment as a means of HIV transmission prevention is a realistic HIV prevention approach, and that individual couples already make decisions about the level of risk they take.
Read the English language version of the German statement
Swiss statement report
Permalink