Gay male HIV positive/negative couples needed for study

OPPOSITES Attract is looking for men in serodiscordant sexual relationships to take part in a study behind the effectiveness of “treatment as prevention” in gay male couples.

Research in heterosexual serodiscordant couples – where one partner is HIV positive and other HIV negative – has shown that when the positive partner is on treatments, the risk of HIV transmission is reduced by 96 per cent. However, this sort of research has never been conducted with gay male serodiscordant couples.

The study, being coordinated by the Kirby Institute at UNSW, is currently open at clinics in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

“The important study has already enrolled 100 gay couples nationally, but we need many more couples,” the institute’s Professor Andrew Grulloch said.

“The results of the study could change what safe sex means for gay men – especially if we find no transmission occurs in couples where the HIV positive partner has undetectable viral load.

To take part, partners can enrol at the HIV positive partner’s regular HIV clinic. They are then followed two to four times year in blood testing, STI testing, and to complete short questionnaires.

To enrol, visit www.OppositesAttract.net.au, email [email protected] or call 1800 129 073.