Glossary
Mixed-Couple
A mixed couple, in HIV contexts, is a couple where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is HIV-negative, also called serodiscordant or mixed status.
In sexual health, a mixed couple, also called serodiscordant or mixed status, is a couple in which one partner is living with HIV and the other is HIV-negative. Thanks to modern medicine, these couples can have healthy, fulfilling sex lives with essentially no HIV transmission. Under U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable), a person on HIV treatment who maintains an undetectable viral load has zero risk of passing HIV to a sexual partner, a fact recognized by the CDC. PrEP, taken by the HIV-negative partner, adds another highly effective layer of protection. Outside of HIV, the phrase mixed couple is also used more broadly for couples of different racial, ethnic, or religious backgrounds.