There are many factors that determine whether or not someone becomes infected with HIV. There may be one or multiple reasons why you have not been infected with HIV. • HIV viral load The amount of virus in your partner’s blood (viral load) is very important for determining if you become infected or not. The higher the viral load, the greater the chance that you will become infected. • The type of virus The type of HIV that infects one person may be very different to the type that infects another. Some types are more likely to spread. Your partner may be infected with a type that spreads less easily. • Frequency of sexual intercourse The more often you have unprotected sex with someone who is HIV positive, the more likely you are to become infected. • Sexual practices Receptive anal sex carries the highest risk of infection. Women are more likely to become infected during vaginal sex than men. • Male circumcision Men who have been circumcised, i.e. the entire foreskin has been removed, are less likely to become infected with HIV than those who have not.
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