For My Lesbian Sisters: Now That Female-to-Female HIV Infection Has Been Found, We Have to Be Careful

Dear Chris,

Kindly grant me the audience to bring this to the attention of my many lesbian sisters who read your blog. Few years ago, I did not know of many Ghanaian lesbians but through discussions on your blog, I’ve met several great women who I connect greatly with and I will like to bring this news to their attention.

I spoke to my partner about it last night and though it is shocking to learn that a rare case of suspected female-to-female HIV infection has be found, it sort of tells us the lesbian community that it is not 100% safe anywhere and we have to be careful.

Check out the piece below reported by BBC…

US health officials have published details of a rare case of suspected female-to-female HIV infection.

A 46-year-old woman “likely acquired” the virus during a six-month monogamous relationship with a HIV-positive woman in Texas, said the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

She was infected with a strain that had a 98% genetic match to her partner’s.

The virus can be transmitted when bodily fluids come into contact with cuts, abrasions and mucus membranes.

“In this case, the discordant couple [one HIV-infected partner and one uninfected partner] routinely had direct sexual contact – without using barrier methods for protection – that involved the exchange of blood through abrasions received during sexual activity,” the CDC said in summary of ta weekly report.

The originally uninfected partner is said to have had a history of heterosexual relationships but none during the past 10 years.

She also had none of the other HIV exposure risks, including intravenous drug use.

Her partner, a 43-year-old woman, had stopped taking antiretroviral drugs in 2010. HIV (seen in red) is rarely transmitted between women through sexual contact.

Thank You…

From Akosua F./Germany