Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41066441›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

The impact of Undetectable=Untransmittable and viral suppression on condomless sex among mixed HIV-status couples in Canada.

Min Xi, Sandra Bullock, Joshua B Mendelsohn, Veronika Moravan, Ann N Burchell, Darrell H S Tan, Bertrand Lebouché, Jean-Pierre Routy, Amrita Daftary, Tamara Thompson and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Min XiDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8398-7239
Sandra BullockDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Joshua B MendelsohnCollege of Health Professions, Pace University, New York, New York, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8500-1683
Veronika MoravanVM Stats, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Ann N BurchellDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Darrell H S TanDivision of Infectious Diseases, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bertrand LebouchéCentre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jean-Pierre RoutyChronic Viral Illness Service and Division of Hematology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Amrita DaftarySchool of Global Health, and Dahdaleh Institute of Global Health Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2275-3540
Tamara ThompsonFaculty of Health Sciences, Douglas College, Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada.
Liviana CalzavaraDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

INTRODUCTION/

objectivesUndetectable = Untransmittable (U = U) means that virally suppressed HIV-positive partners cannot transmit HIV. With advancements in HIV care and the increasing number of mixed HIV-status relationships, we quantified U = U agreement (agreeing/disagreeing that U = U is true) among people in mixed HIV-status relationships, assessed response concordance between partners, quantified the association between dyad-level U = U agreement and condomless sex, and estimated interaction effects of viral suppression.

methodsA cross-sectional opportunistic and snowball sampled survey explored condom use, U = U agreement, viral suppression, sociodemographic/relationship characteristics, and sexual behavior among 306 participants (153 matched dyads) in mixed HIV-status relationships (2016-2018). Bivariate analyses identified sociodemographic/relationship characteristics associated with U = U agreement. Cohen's Kappa assessed response concordance between partners. Firth logistic regression estimated associations between dyad-level U = U agreement and condomless sex with effect modification by viral suppression.

resultsOf 293 responses to the U = U question, 53.2% agreed with U = U. Agreement was associated with younger age (p = 0.006) and shorter duration of HIV in relationships (p = 0.034). Concordance between partners was higher for factual questions (kappa>0.50) and lower for belief/decision-making questions (kappa<0.40). The predicted probability of always having condomless sex was 0.60 (95% CI:0.57,0.64) when dyads agreed with U = U and the HIV-positive partner was virally suppressed. The likelihood of always having condomless sex was low when the HIV-positive partner was not virally suppressed, whether or not dyads agreed with U = U (predicted probability range: 0.08;95% CI:0.06,0.11 to 0.25;95% CI:0.17,0.33), or when only one partner agreed with U = U (predicted probability range:0.02;95% CI:0.01,0.02 to 0.11;95% CI:0.07,0.15).

conclusionsDyad-level U = U agreement, viral suppression, and views of both partners were key factors in mixed HIV-status couples' decisions to have condomless sex. Future representative studies among sexual identity and racialized minority sub-populations are needed to better understand how mixed HIV-status relationships receive and apply U = U messaging, with a focus on partner age and the duration of HIV within relationships.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsSexual BehaviorUnsafe SexAdultCanadaCondomsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSexual PartnersViral LoadYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID41066441
PMCPMC12510518

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.