Serodiscordant

Serodiscordant

Serodiscordant (sero-discordant) is a term used to describe a couple in which one partner is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative. [(cite web|url=http://www.thebody.com/encyclo/couples.html |title=Couples |accessmonthday=08-26 |accessyear=2006 |author=Smith, Raymond )] Serodiscordant relationships are also referred to as "magnetic". Seroconcordant is the term used to describe a couple in which both partners are of the same HIV status (ie both are HIV positive or both are HIV negative).

Serodiscordant couples face numerous issues not faced by seroconcordant couples, including facing a decision as to what level of sexual activity is comfortable for them, knowing that practicing safer sex reduces but does not eliminate the risk of transmission to the HIV negative partner. There are also potential psychological issues arising out of taking care of a sick partner, and survivor guilt. [(cite web|url=http://www.thebody.com/bp/oct96/magnet.html |title=Magnetic Marriages: When Positives and Negatives Attract |accessmonthday=08-26 |accessyear=2006 |author=Smith, Raymond )] Financial strains may also be more accentuated as one partner becomes ill and potentially less able or unable to work.

Research involving serodiscordant couples has offered insights into how the virus is passed and how individuals who are HIV positive may be able to reduce the risk of passing the virus to their partner. [(cite web|url=http://www.atcmag.com/v6n1/article5.asp |title=Counseling HIV-Serodiscordant Couples |accessmonthday=08-26 |accessyear=2006 |author=Thacker, Jerry )]

Experts have no way to count how many American couples with HIV want to conceive children - but they guess the number is in the thousands. And researchers report a growing stream of calls from these couples wanting reproductive help. [cite web|url=http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/evading_virus/concryan.html|publisher=American Radio Works|title=Evading The Virus: Conceiving Ryan] The Special Program of Assisted Reproduction was developed in 1996 to help serodiscordant couples conceive safely. However, the program is only designed to help couples where the male partner is infected, not the female partner.

See also

* Serology
* Serostatus
* Serosorting
* Sperm washing
* HIV testing
* Safe Sex

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • serodiscordant — se·ro·dis·cor·dant (sîr ō dĭ skôrʹdnt) adj. Being a couple in which one partner has tested positive for HIV and the other has not. * * * …   Universalium

  • serodiscordant — adjective Of a couple with one partner HIV positive and the other HIV negative …   Wiktionary

  • Relationship counseling — Intervention ICD 9 CM 94.4 Relationship counseling is the process of counseling the parties of a relationship in an effort to recognize and to better manage or reconcile troublesome differences and repeating patterns of distress. The rela …   Wikipedia

  • Serosorting — is the practice of seeking to only engage in sexual activities with partners who are of the same HIV status as ones self. This practice has been reported becoming common among gay men in some communities, as a measure to reduce the risk of… …   Wikipedia

  • Serostatus — is a term used to refer to the presence or absence of specific substances in the blood serum. Most commonly, this medical test is looking for specific antibodies in an effort to diagnose a particular disease. A person s test results can be… …   Wikipedia

  • Special Program of Assisted Reproduction — The Special Program of Assisted Reproduction (SPAR) is a program offered to HIV discordant couples (serodiscordant) at the Bedford Research Foundation’s clinical laboratory. The program takes advantage of ART (Assisted Reproduction Technology)… …   Wikipedia

  • Bedford Stem Cell Research Foundation — ] . The institute also created the Special Program of Assisted Reproduction (SPAR), a program that assists serodiscordant couples successfully achieve pregnancy [http://www.sementesting.org/ HIV Sperm Washing | Bedford Research Foundation… …   Wikipedia

  • serodiscordance — noun The condition of being serodiscordant …   Wiktionary

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