What is a serodiscordant relationship?

A serodiscordant relationship is that relationship in which one partner is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative. It is a relationship that involves a lot of emotions and anxieties. When in a relationship a partner is aware of being infected with a disease that could cause death, brings in a lot of anxieties. It is obvious not only at the time of diagnosis but throughout the relationship.

The serodiscordant relationship undergoes a number of difficulties. Such a relationship is under constant threat of infecting the partner who is HIV negative when you have sexual relationship. There is always the fear of either infecting or being infected by the partner. The fear is natural as none would like to harm either of the partners. More than the issue of HIV there are other issues that need to be faced and discussed.
In many serodiscordant relationships the negative partner can take care of the positive, but it could not always be taken in a positive way by the HIV infected partner as a feeling of dependence.

In a serodiscordant relationship it is very difficult for the HIV infected person to tell the sexual partner about the HIV infection. There are a number of questions and thoughts going continuously in the mind, such as how to tell the partner about being HIV positive? What will my partner think about me? Will I be accepted or rejected? And many other such related questions. The infected person has to be honest with the partner. Although it is a difficult and complex task but the person has to be brave enough to tell the truth. If he or she feels it impossible the infected person can take help of the doctor or the AIDS organization.

The person with HIV infection in such a relationship may also feel estranged within the relationship. The partner could feel this due to internal emotions of being infected by such a disease and constantly being under the pressure of harming the partner as well.
Moreover the negative partner often hesitates to maintain the relationship out of fear of being infected.

The HIV virus is transmitted through body fluids such as blood, ejaculate, pre-ejaculate, vaginal and cervical fluids. It is also transmitted by breast milk. Therefore it is very important to prevent the transfer of this virus in the body fluids. So such couples should always use precaution during sex. Though it can be frustrating but it is better to play save than harm the partner.

Many times people infected with HIV do not prefer to come into any relationship or they prefer to be in the relationship with people who are HIV positive. They do this so as to reduce the risk of spreading HIV virus and thus not creating new HIV infected people.
The stigma of being infected by the HIV virus is now not the same as it was earlier. A combination of improved theories as well as better diagnosis and treatment have made the life of such people much better and the length of life of the people living with HIV/AIDS. There are many HIV positive people who are now considering for forming a relationship. The HIV negative people are also entering into the serodiscondant relationship.

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