Tue 17 Nov 2015 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Actor Charlie Sheen has been revealed to have HIV The NZ AIDS Foundation says if an HIV-positive person is sustaining a medication regime including anti-retroviral drugs their chance of passing on HIV through unprotected sex are “dramatically reduced.” Though the Foundation continues to stress the need for a strong commitment to condom use as a reliable protection measure it has in recent time noted that lowering viral load to the undetectable level through use of HIV medications is also a useful tool in preventing the transmission of HIV. The issue has come to light as Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen, who has boasted of bedding over 5,000 woman, and who at least one female partner claims is bisexual, has been revealed to have had HIV for several years. “If we assume that the actor Charlie Sheen has been on medication for several years it is very likely that he has an undetectable viral load,” NZAF Director Shaun Robinson says. “This will have dramatically reduced his chances of passing on HIV and will be the best thing he can be doing for his personal health.” Robinson says there are “about 600” people in New Zealand who have HIV and don’t know they have it. “Most of them will be gay and bisexual men. It is really important that gay guys test for HIV every time they have had condom-less anal sex. finding out you have the virus, and getting onto treatment early is absolutely the best thing a person can do for themselves and for the wider community.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 17th November 2015 - 1:50pm