NATAP: Sexual Transmission & HIV Viral Load

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Here is a link to 3 major studies along with charts & graphs showing that when HIV is undetectable in the blood the risk for sexual transmission is very low. it is generally accepted that this is the case. A risk for sexual transmission when HIV RNA is undetectable in the blood due to HIV in genital secretions is theoretical and i think not proven, but nonoetheless there is always a risk.

HIV Sexual Transmission Risks: during acute & chronic with <400 c/ml - (01/27/06)

  ....The major finding of this study was the strong association between increasing serum HIV-1 RNA levels and an increasing risk of heterosexual transmission of HIV-1. In a finding similar to those of studies that found that the risk of perinatal HIV-1 infection is associated with the maternal viral load.....Our data suggest that peripheral-blood levels of HIV-1 RNA contribute dramatically to the risk of heterosexual transmission. Serum HIV-1 RNA levels below 1500 copies per milliliter were not associated with transmission, whereas the risk of transmission increased substantially with increasing viral loads..... For partners with fewer than 400 HIV-1 RNA copies per milliliter, there were zero transmissions....see last of 3 articles below