Sex With an Undetectable Viral Load With HIV, Explained

Living with HIV has changed a lot over the past couple of decades. This is especially true when it comes to guidelines for having sex with HIV.

Thanks to today’s HIV treatments, many people now have viral loads that are “undetectable.” This means there is so little HIV in the blood that standard blood tests don’t pick it up. Undetectable viral loads are also untransmissable — meaning you’re unlikely to transmit HIV to your partner during sex.

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician. Prior to practicing medicine, she worked as a management consultant.

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