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"&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;What is Serosorting?&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Serosorting is a sexual practice. It involves choosing to practice &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/the-mechanics-of-safe-sex-3133053&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;safe sex&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; based on whether a potential partner is thought to be &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/hiv-aids-overview-3133288&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;HIV&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; positive. Many people who practice serosorting would say that they make such decisions based on their partner&amp;amp;#39;s status. However, such statements are often based on mistaken beliefs about the accuracy of &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-getting-an-hiv-test-3132731&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;HIV testing&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. In particular, many individuals do not realize that testing is not always good at detecting &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/new-hiv-infections-and-old-ones-can-doctors-diagnose-3132618&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;new HIV infections&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. Therefore, even if a potential sex partner has been tested in the past few days, and is open and honest about their test results, there&amp;amp;#39;s still a risk. &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Their results &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-long-should-i-wait-for-std-testing-3132737&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;might not be accurate yet&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. &amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;If someone believes they are negative, but are newly infected,\u00A0 unsafe sex can be a big risk. Newly infected people can have very high &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/viral-suppression-3132658&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;viral loads&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Serosorting &amp;amp;amp; Home HIV Testing&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Serosorting is one reason people have concerns about &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-a-rapid-hiv-test-3133153&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;7&amp;quot;&amp;gt;at-home HIV testing&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. However, several studies have suggested that men who use HIV home tests to facilitate serosorting are actually more likely to engage in safe sex. That&amp;amp;#39;s true regardless of the test results. In other words, just talking about risk and testing encourages them to be more careful. That&amp;amp;#39;s not true for everyone, of course. Still, people who don&amp;amp;#39;t practice safe sex after using a home test probably wouldn&amp;amp;#39;t have practiced safe sex before such tests became available.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In addition, there is some evidence that consistent condom use following home-testing is safer than inconsistent condom use without it. That&amp;amp;#39;s true even taking into account the problem of the window period. (The window period is the time where new HIV infections may go undetected, because the test is not yet effective.) That said, conflicting evidence also exists. Some studies suggest that more home HIV testing could decrease conventional testing. That could potentially put more men at risk because of sex during that same window period. The data are not yet clear.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Who Uses Serosorting?&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Serosorting is most commonly discussed as a practice of &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/men-who-have-sex-with-men-msm-48993&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot;&amp;gt;men who have sex with men&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; (MSM). However, they are not the only individuals who engage in serosorting. Anyone who has chosen not to have safe sex with a partner because they assumed that partner couldn&amp;amp;#39;t possibly have a &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/understand-bloodborne-pathogens-3132821&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;9&amp;quot;&amp;gt;blood-borne&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/the-most-common-stds-sexually-transmitted-diseases-3133040&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;10&amp;quot;&amp;gt;STD&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; has, in some way, engaged in serosorting. The reason that it is primarily discussed as an issue for MSM is their &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/why-do-gay-men-have-an-increased-risk-of-hiv-3132782&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;11&amp;quot;&amp;gt;overall increased risk for HIV infection&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. There are also cultural norms and expectations about casual sex among gay men that increase both prejudice and discussion. This is similar to the reason that the &amp;amp;#34;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/the-lowdown-on-the-down-low-3133188&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;12&amp;quot;&amp;gt;down low&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;amp;#34; is discussed as an issue for men of color. Realistically, men of any race can be on the &amp;amp;#34;down low.&amp;amp;#34;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Is Unprotected Sex Risky if We&amp;amp;#39;re Both Positive?&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Even if you&amp;amp;#39;re both HIV positive, you might want to have safe sex.\u00A0 After all, HIV isn&amp;amp;#39;t the only risk associated with sexual activity. You could also be exposing each other to other &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/the-most-common-stds-sexually-transmitted-diseases-3133040&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;13&amp;quot;&amp;gt;sexually transmitted infections&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, including &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/treating-hepatitis-c-in-people-with-hiv-48867&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;14&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hepatitis C&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. There&amp;amp;#39;s also potentially the risk of &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/practicing-safe-sex-when-both-partners-have-hiv-3132966&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;15&amp;quot;&amp;gt;superinfection&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. Superinfection is when you become infected with a second strain of HIV.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Word Origin&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Serosorting is a portmanteau of the two words &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;sero-&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;, meaning blood, and &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;sorting&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;. It is not a term unique to HIV infection. That is just the domain in which the word is most commonly used. &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;Sero&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; refers to the fact that HIV is a blood-borne illness detected by &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;serology&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; - i.e. blood testing. Thus, people who engage in serosorting are &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;categorizing their partners&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; based on their &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;blood test results&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Sources:&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;\u00A0&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;Bal\u00E1n IC, Carballo-Di\u00E9guez A, Frasca T, Dolezal C, Ibitoye M. The impact of rapid HIV home test use with sexual partners on subsequent sexual behavior among men who have sex with men. AIDS Behav. 2014 Feb;18(2):254-62.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;\u00A0&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;Carballo-Di\u00E9guez A, Frasca T, Balan I, Ibitoye M, Dolezal C. Use of a rapid HIV home test prevents HIV exposure in a high risk sample of men who have sex with men. AIDS Behav. 2012 Oct;16(7):1753-60.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;\u00A0&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;Katz DA, Cassels SL, Stekler JD. Replacing clinic-based tests with home-use tests may increase HIV prevalence among Seattle men who have sex with men: evidence from a mathematical model. Sex Transm Dis. 2014 Jan;41(1):2-9.&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;\u00A0&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;Ventuneac A, Carballo-Di\u00E9guez A, Leu CS, Levin B, Bauermeister J, Woodman-Maynard E, Giguere R. Use of a rapid HIV home test to screen sexual partners: an evaluation of its possible use and relative risk. AIDS Behav. 2009 Aug;13(4):731-7. &amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/serosorting-hiv-prevention-3132785>