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Reinfection
In addition to STIs, unprotected sex can have other health risks for HIV-positive people. There have been cases reported where a person with HIV has been reinfected, or 'superinfected', with another subtype or strain of HIV which is resistant to anti-HIV drugs.
In some cases, this has resulted in the person’s HIV viral load increasing and CD4 cell count falling. In addition, their treatment options have been limited because the type of HIV they were reinfected with was resistant to some or all of the anti-HIV drugs they were taking – and to others they had never taken.
It is not known how easy it is for somebody to become reinfected with HIV. So far, only a few cases have been reported worldwide, almost all amongst gay men who had unprotected anal sex. However, there has also been a case reported of reinfection involving a heterosexual couple.
Although reinfection appears to be rare, there seem to be some factors that might increase the risk of it happening. The main one appears to be taking a break from treatment. The reasons for this are not fully understood.