Fulfilling sexuality with HIV is possible, experts say

December 1, World AIDS Day and the start of Indigenous Awareness Week, invites us to reflect on progress in the fight against HIV. A survivor and experts testify to the medical advances and obstacles to overcome to live peacefully and maintain fulfilling sexuality with this virus.

HIV activist and survivor Marvelous Muchenje was diagnosed with HIV in 1995, when she was pregnant. At a time when few treatments were available, she lost her child shortly after birth.

However, this ordeal pushed her to fight for the rights of women and people living with HIV.

When I was diagnosed at 23, I had never heard of HIV. I saw people dying around me, including loved ones.

Muchenje says one of the biggest changes is the effectiveness of current treatments, including the ability to make viral load undetectable.

With modern medications, you can reach an undetectable viral load, which means you can no longer transmit the virus to your partner.she specifies. But adherence to treatment remains crucial.

For her, fulfilled sexuality is possible, provided that she rigorously follows treatment and maintains open communication with her partner.

I was married for 19 years. When I met my husband, he knew I was HIV positive. I have always been open about my condition [de séropositive] and I took my partner to the doctor so he could be well informedshe says.

Prevention, an essential element of sexuality with HIV

Although treatments have evolved considerably, prevention remains an essential component in the management of HIV. People can use condoms to protect themselves. Even if the treatments allow you to lead an almost normal life, living with HIV remains a challengeexplique Marvelous Muchenje.

However, it also highlights another major obstacle: stigma.

It’s not HIV that kills, it’s stigma.

Many people live in isolation due to fear of rejection.she notes, recalling that social acceptance is just as important as access to treatments.

Continuous vigilance and prevention

The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that at the end of 2022, there were approximately 65,270 Canadians living with HIV. About 89% of people living with this virus in Canada had been diagnosed and knew they had it. HIV.

This means that around 11% of people living with HIV had not received a diagnosis as of the end of 2022.

Dr. Gretchen Roedde, a family physician in Sudbury, has worked on AIDS in various countries, including Botswana and the Caribbean, where she developed prevention strategies for vulnerable groups.

She explains that the anti-HIV improves the health of HIV-positive people and is an effective method of prevention.

In other words, undetectable = untransmittablewhich means that a person with an undetectable viral load in their blood cannot transmit the virus. HIV to his partner, even during sexual intercourse.

It also confirms, as Marvelous Muchenje points out, that it is possible to have a fulfilling love life with the HIV thanks to medical advances.

However, it is essential to follow prescribed treatments and get tested regularlyshe said.

Yes, yes HIV is undetectable, this does not mean that we can now multiply sexual partners.

Vigilance is necessary as infections such as gonorrhea and chlamydia continue to pose a risk. Thus, prevention remains a priority, even if the management of HIV has evolved considerably thanks to treatments.

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Education, community support and everyday HIV management

The education and communications coordinator of the ACCESS Network in Sudbury, Angèl Riess, highlights the importance of education to support people living with HIV.

She insists that it is entirely possible to have a healthy life, including fulfilling sexuality. She mentions post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which helps prevent infection in the HIV after potential exposure.

It is a combination of three antiretroviral drugs within 72 hours of exposure to HIV. This must be followed by rigorous medical monitoringshe specifies.

The ACCESS Network provides comprehensive support to people living with HIV by offering screening services, advice and appropriate treatments.

People who live with HIV sometimes encounter difficulties accessing other clinics. This is why we work with various organizations to provide them with tailored and effective support.she explains.

Individual support and the importance of monitoring tools

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Lucia Luciani, support services worker at HARP, also works daily to support people living with HIV in the Algoma district of Northern Ontario. She emphasizes that education is a key to reducing stigma.

Our goal is to make sure people are educated. With education, we hope that stigma and discrimination will decreaseshe said.

It also reassures people who live with HIV by assuring them that it is possible to lead a fulfilling love life, provided they follow their treatment. We are here for these people every step of the wayshe adds.

Like Dr. Roedde, Lucia Luciani emphasizes the importance of adherence to treatment, emphasizing that modern medications have less serious side effects. Often it is enough to take just one tablet per dayshe said.

To help her clients follow their treatment, she uses tools like calendars and pill counters, which track each medication intake. This allows my clients to mark each day they take their medicationshe explains.

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For those who have difficulty complying with their daily treatment, she discusses alternative solutions such as periodic injections, which avoid taking daily tablets. She also adds that solutions exist in the event of drug resistance.

Lucia Luciani also discusses pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a very effective preventive treatment against HIV,which involves taking medications before and after potential exposure to HIV. When done correctly, the risk of transmission is extremely lowshe explains.

Despite advances in treatment and prevention, we must continue to raise awareness in the community and promote safe practicesshe emphasizes.