Courtney Act had a relationship with a HIV positive boyfriend
The former Attitude cover star told her story as part of New Zealand's Aids Foundation campaign
By Steve Brown
Courtney Act revealed she had a relationship with a man who was HIV positive but the virus wasn’t able to be transmitted.
The former Attitude cover star told her story for New Zealand’s Aids Foundation campaign and said because her partner had an “undetectable viral load” he was unable to pass on the virus even without condoms.
She said: “An ex-boyfriend of mine is living with HIV. He has an undetectable viral load so I know first-hand how this can affect people in a serodiscordant couple – which is where one partner is HIV-negative and one is HIV-positive.
“It was great to know he could have much better health in the long-run and that scientific evidence shows he was unable to pass on HIV on to me, even without condoms.
“We live in a fear-based world where HIV stigma can prevail, but armed with science and facts I was able to break down the stigma in my own mind and be in a happy and healthy relationship with my partner.
“For people living with HIV, the knowledge that undetectable equals untransmittable is huge news, not only as a means of preventing transmission, but in breaking down the stigma that many people can still experience.”
New Zealand Aids Foundation said: “When copies of HIV cannot be detected by standard viral load tests, a person living with HIV is said to have an undetectable viral load.
“Most people diagnosed with HIV will be able to achieve an undetectable viral load. Chances increase with an early diagnosis, which is why regular testing for HIV is important.
“The main benefit of an undetectable viral load is better quality of life and long-term health outcomes for people living with HIV.”
Watch Courtney speak about undetectable viral load below: