Can a person become infected from a partner who has a low or an undetectable viral load?
It is possible to become infected from a partner who has a low or an undetectable viral load. Tests measuring viral loads show the amount of HIV in a person’s blood. An undetectable viral load means the amount of a virus in a person’s blood is lower than can be measured by the test – IT DOES NOT MEAN THERE IS NO HIV IN THE PERSON’S BODY. Commercially available vial load tests do not measure the amount of HIV in a person’s lymph nodes, organs, semen, vaginal secretions or other body fluids. Although a low or undetectable viral load indicates how well drug therapy is working, it does not eliminate the possibility of spreading HIV to sex and needle-sharing partners. A person can become infected from a partner who has a low or undetectable viral load. • Can a person get HIV by kissing? There has been one reported case of HIV transmission where a woman became infected by deep kissing with a man with AIDS. The man reported his gums often bled after brushing and flossing his teeth and that af
