U=U

May 2, 2019 5:01 PM

New study confirms 0% transmission of HIV in male couples on treatment. Final results of the PARTNER2 study published confirming zero cases of HIV transmission from condomless sex in almost 1000 male serodiscordant couples, where one partner maintains an undetectable viral load.

Previous data affirmed “undetectable equals untransmittable” among opposite sex couples and suggested the same might be true for male couples engaging in condomless anal sex, though the risk was thought to be non-zero. However, this analysis and larger data set confirms the only seroconversions were from sex outside of the relationship and treatment-as-prevention works.

posted by stillmoving (11 comments total)

Fantastic news. thanks for sharing this.
posted by biggreenplant at 5:07 PM on May 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

It really is big and exciting news! Imagine if everyone just had access to reliable, regular, ongoing treatment! Still a long way to go in that arena, but this is really massive progress.
posted by stillmoving at 5:12 PM on May 2, 2019 [12 favorites]

Huge, amazing news of great importance to everyone! Yay science!
posted by neon909 at 5:23 PM on May 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

Awesome!!!!!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:04 PM on May 2, 2019

Wow!
posted by droplet at 7:31 PM on May 2, 2019

I will tell you, as a partner in a serodiscordant couple, that if your primary care provider works in a research clinic/hospital, you will be wooed with promises of gift cards, adulation, and sometimes outright payment to participate in endless studies where you're asked lots of really personal questions about your relationship and sexual habits. And even without all those added-on benefits, the personal questions and time invested is worth it, to see results like this starting to be known.

Thank all that is good for good medicine and healthy partners.
posted by xingcat at 5:25 AM on May 3, 2019 [17 favorites]

Help me out: is it that the drugs are getting better at keeping the viral load down? Like, are these medications just better than what were available ten years ago?
posted by pelvicsorcery at 8:08 AM on May 3, 2019

The medications are largely the same, and were effective ten years ago. The news is that studies have confirmed the theory about intransmissibility.

U=U has gone from hypothesis and dogma to peer-confirmed theory.
posted by explosion at 8:38 AM on May 3, 2019 [3 favorites]

A couple of years ago I met a man, a friend of a friend who’d been diagnosed HIV+ in 1984. Then he’d participated in several of the early studies, then he’d nursed all his sick friends, then gone on antiretrovirals, and there he was, the picture of late middle-aged health, talking to me. It was like meeting a genuine hero. I damn near cried.
posted by octobersurprise at 9:28 AM on May 3, 2019 [14 favorites]

Help me out: is it that the drugs are getting better at keeping the viral load down? Like, are these medications just better than what were available ten years ago?

posted by pelvicsorcery at 8:08 AM on May 3 [+] [!]

Eponysterical!

But yeah, science is beautiful, especially when it enables people to live, easier.

(also before this thread I had no context about U=U and thought it was boobs of middle age)
posted by batter_my_heart at 5:19 PM on May 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

Excellent news, and thank you for posting it, I might have missed this. Confirmation! Yay for the science, researchers, and participants!
posted by mixedmetaphors at 7:25 AM on May 4, 2019 [1 favorite]