Os opostos se atraem (Opposites attract) is a project from the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fiocruz (INI/Fiocruz), supported by Fiotec, which will rate the viral load, the HIV treatment and the HIV transmission in serodiscordant relationships (in which only one of the partners is HIV positive) between male homosexuals.

Under the coordination of researcher Beatriz Grinsztejn, head of the STD and Aids Clinical Research Laboratory in the Fiocruz unit, the project aims at understanding the role of anti-retroviral drugs and the possibility of virus transmission during the relations.

The study started in May 2014 in a collaborative way and is counting nowadays on 70 couples, many of them already being treated in Fiocruz. However, 30 more volunteer couples are required. People interested may contact on phone (21) 2260-6700.

STD and Aids Clinical Research Laboratory

The laboratory was created by INI/Fiocruz for acting in partnership with the main international research networks, by developing clinical research projects on Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), Human Immunodeficiency Virus – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and their co-infections.

In addition to Beatriz, the laboratory has the researcher Valdiléa Gonçalves Veloso dos Santos coordinate several projects related to Aids, supported by Fiotec as well.