STDs, Opportunistic Infections
Because of their potentially weakened immune system, HIV positive people are at an increased risk of infection. If you have a positive partner, you should do as much as possible to reduce their risk of getting an infection. This means sexually transmitted diseases, like Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, and Hepatitis B, but also includes other infections like the cold and the flu. If you have any of these infections, you should take significant steps to reduce the transmission to your partner.

Communication
Talking with your positive partner can help immensely to reduce HIV risk. Discuss what both of you are and are not comfortable doing together. Talk about condoms and sexually transmitted diseases. If necessary, seek counseling to help to overcome any communication barriers that may exist. Talking about HIV makes it much more manageable.

Condoms
Although they are not 100% effective, condoms are a good way to prevent HIV infection, as well as other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). For more information on condoms, see “Condoms.”

Lubrication: Adding lubrication to sexual activity can greatly increase both comfort and safety. Lubrication helps to reduce friction, thus reducing tearing of the skin. If this skin is broken, this can increase the risk for HIV infection. Lubricants come in both water-based and oil-based, but ONLY water-based lubrication should be used with condoms or latex barriers, because oil-based lubrication will cause the latex to break. Lubrication can be found wherever condoms are sold, usually right next to one another on the shelf. Popular water-based personal lubrication brand names are K-Y Jelly® and Astroglide®.

Dual Infection, Co-infection, and Superinfection
Dual infection occurs when a person is infected with two or more strains of HIV at the same time. This infection could have been obtained from one person or multiple partners.

Co-infection occurs when a person is infected with more than one strain of the virus from multiple partners before seroconversion, or before the HIV is detected.

Superinfection occurs when a person is infected with a second strain of the virus after seroconversion, or after the first strain of HIV has been detected. Superinfection is also called re-infection. Superinfection can be a concern because it may make a person more resistant to medication, and can also lead to more rapid disease progression. There is still much research going on regarding superinfection, but it seems that a person is most likely to become superinfected within the first 3 years of HIV infection, and that after this period of time it is less likely that a second strain of HIV will establish itself in the body. For more information, see the CAPS Superinfection Fact Sheet at http://www.caps.ucsf.edu/pubs/FS/revsuperinfection.php.