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Today at 3 pm: Charlie Sheen's ex-girlfriend speaks out on Dr. Oz Show

Amanda Bruce. Photo: The Dr. Oz show
Amanda Bruce. Photo: The Dr. Oz show
By Jennifer Brett
Nov 18, 2015

Charlie Sheen's ex-girlfriend  Amanda Bruce explains why she had unprotected sex with him even though she knew he was HIV positive on Wednesday's episode of The Dr. Oz Show. 

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Photo credit: Sony Pictures Television
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Television

“If I had met him on one night and we had decided to engage in this I’d say that’s probably playing Russian Roulette as it would be with anyone in the world," Bruce said. "I think the real Russian Roulette comes with not coming forward about conditions you have, or having unprotected sex frequently with partners. The reality is we had known each other for many months before we had engaged in that [sex] and we were a couple, I was in love with him.”

Charlie Sheen revealed his HIV+ status during a recent "Today Show" interview with Matt Lauer. Photo: Peter Kramer/NBC via AP
Charlie Sheen revealed his HIV+ status during a recent "Today Show" interview with Matt Lauer. Photo: Peter Kramer/NBC via AP

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Sheen's personal physician Dr. Robert Huizenga, who appeared with him on Tuesday's Today Show where Sheen publicly disclosed his HIV status, said he advised Bruce against it.

“We know there are studies that show literally a thousand discordant couples where one partner has HIV and the other doesn’t, and they had relationships for long periods of time," he said. "When the individual is taking strong anti-retroviral therapy and they were using condoms appropriately. And so we know from that study that it’s very difficult to get [HIV] when condoms are used appropriately."

Sheen was taking the anti-viral medication and Bruce was taking prophylaxis medication during their relationship. That lowered but did not eliminate the risk of transmission, and the doctor advised against unprotected relations.

"She elected to then go forward because she felt so close and wanted that level of intimacy,” Huizenga said. 

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