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HIV+ Couples
When you and your partner both have HIV, you’ll deal with things that many couples face, and the added dimensions of HIV- treatment decisions, finding support, and maybe even family planning.
Like any couple, you will decide how much time to spend together, where friends and family fit in, and other pieces of daily life. HIV will also bring up safer sex and disclosure, as well as health issues. Figuring out how to talk about these things may be tough at times, but it’s important.
Strengths…
Being in a relationship with someone who also has HIV can be great- it means you can appreciate the issues of disclosure, safer sex and looking after your health. When it’s time for treatment decisions or working with your doctor, your partner can relate to these questions too.
Figuring out how to support to each other is ongoing. Sometimes you might want to talk in detail about each other’s health, or maybe it’s too stressful and it’s better to talk with someone outside the relationship. Balance is an ongoing exercise.
… and Challenges
When both of you have HIV, it may cause worry. What if you both get sick at the same time? What if you have treatment side effects, or advocacy issues that seem too hard to solve? These issues are real, but HIV is just one thing you and your partner share. Plan for the future: talk to other people about what has worked for them.
Sex
Preventing re-exposure to HIV is called secondary prevention. Without it, you could be exposed to a slightly different strain (sometimes called superinfection), or to other sexually transmitted infections. Should this happen, your immune system has to work even harder to keep you healthy. Talking about intimate things like sex can be hard but can also lead to a better relationship. If you want to talk to a support worker before approaching your partner, PWN can help.