Serosorting
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Serosorting is the practice of identifying social and sexual partners based on their HIV status. It has been seen as controversial for being used to engage in sexual activities without regard to safer sex practices as either participants were free of HIV or were already carriers. Although the practice has occurred informally since the AIDS pandemic began, serosorting has become more prevalent with online social networking sites facilitating quick networking and even some health professionals citing harm reduction concepts for gay men as a measure to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV infection.
Serosorting is not free of risk. Firstly, some people may not be sure of their true HIV status, or lie about it. Even a recent negative HIV test may not be definitive, if they are still within the window period after a recent infection. Secondly, just because someone does not have HIV does not mean that they are free of other sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis or hepatitis B. However, the largest experiment with serosorting has been conducted in the Adult film industry by the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation. All actors in legitimate adult films are tested twice a year for Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Hepatitis A/B/C, Herpes and HIV-and Monthly for HIV, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. The AIM testing program eliminates virtually all possibility of lying and enforces a high frequency of testing-and involves more than just testing for AIDS. Before this program of testing adult film actors had a very high rate of STD's-and now have a rate of STD's 20% that of the general public.
Thirdly, unprotected sex between two HIV+ people is not free of risk. Infection with one strain of HIV does not preclude later infection with another. There is a great deal of genetic variability within individual HIV virus populations and this variability is shuffled and mutated every time the virus reproduces inside a cell in the body. There are millions of viruses in the body of an infected person. Modern drug cocktails keep virus and mutation levels low but eventually drug resistance will develop. Unprotected sex between two HIV+ individuals does risk that one with a less aggressive, drug susceptible strain of the virus who might have kept his infection well under the control of the available drugs, might find him or herself with an aggressively drug resistant strain[1]. Furthermore, dual infection has been associated with more rapid progression to AIDS[2].
See also
References
- ^ Smith et al.. [Expression error: Missing operand for > "HIV drug resistance acquired through superinfection"]. AIDS 19 (12): 1251–1256. PMID 16052079.
- ^ Gottlieb, et al. (2004). [Expression error: Missing operand for > "Dual HIV-1 infection associated with rapid disease progression"]. Lancet 363 (9049): 619–622. doi:. PMID 14987889.
External links
- Elizabeth Pisani (June 2008). "The plague is over, let's party". prospect-magazine.co.uk. http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=10184. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- "Serosorting". San Francisco Aids Foundation. 2007-01-01. http://www.sfaf.org/beta/2007_win/serosorting.html. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- Gus Cairns (August 22, 2006). "Is serosorting working, or even possible?". aidsmap.com. http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/E198EB3E-2EE3-48D6-BAC2-0C5EF17CE24A.asp. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- "Dual Infection". San Francisco Aids Foundation. 2006-01-01. http://www.sfaf.org/beta/2006_win/dual_infection.html. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
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