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Background

A large number of cohabiting HIV discordant couples do not know each other’s HIV status. The negative partners are unknowingly very vulnerable to HIV infections in such settings, and most of the negative partners do not know how to protect themselves [1-7].

High incidences of new HIV infections in the negative partners have been reported in Zambia and Rwanda. HIV deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing researches in Uganda and Zambia confirmed that 64% and 87% of the new infections in the negative partners were respectively from the HIV positive cohabiting partners [8, 9]. High viral load is usually associated with high rate of HIV transmission [10]. Other risk factors associated with HIV transmission in heterosexual discordant couples include lack of male circumcision,[11] the presence of other sexually transmitted infections,[12, 13] ignorance of self or partner’s HIV status and limited understanding of HIV discordance within couples [7]. Majority of the HIV transmissions among couples or sexual partners can be prevented with effective interventions like CHTC and condom use [4], rights-focused behavior changes, prompt sexual transmitted infection screenings and treatments, male medical circumcision,[11] antiretroviral treatment as prevention,[14] and Pre-and post-exposure prophylaxes (PrEP and PEP)[15]. Preventative vaccines and functional cure will be the ideal methods of the prevention when they become available for clinical use. The benefits of adequate suppression of viral replication with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the positive partner are enormous, and include reduced risk of infecting the negative …