HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus which damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease.
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name for a collection illnesses that are caused by the HIV virus. We now don’t use the term AIDS and now call it late-stage or advanced HIV. In the UK, the majority of people living with HIV and on treatment do not develop AIDS.
The HIV virus can be transmitted from one person to another.
There is no cure for HIV but there are effective drug treatments that allow most people to live a long and healthy life.
Early diagnosis and treatment mean that people with HIV can live a normal and healthy life.
The majority of people will experience a short flu-like illness 2 to 6 weeks after HIV infection.
After this, HIV may not cause any symptoms for many years, although it will continue to damage your immune system.
Many people with HIV do not know they are infected.
The most common way of getting HIV in the UK is through having anal or vaginal sex without a condom.
HIV is found in the body fluids of an infected person. This includes semen, vaginal and anal fluids, blood and breast milk.
Other ways of getting HIV include:
– Sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment
– Transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding
The free, easy and discreet way to discover if you have a STI.
Speak to a friendly advisor and get the advice and support you need.
Anyone who has sex without a condom or shares needles is at risk of HIV infection.
To prevent or reduce the risk of HIV:
– Use a condom during sex
– If you use drugs, never share needles or other injecting equipment
– Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a drug which can be used after exposure to avoid infection. To work, PEP must be taken within 72 hours (three days), and ideally should be taken within 24 hours.
– PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is HIV medication that people can take to prevent an HIV infection. It can be taken by people who are having sexual contact with someone who is at risk of having HIV. When taken correctly, PrEP is highly effective at reducing the risk of contracting HIV.
Antiretroviral medicines are used to treat HIV. They work by stopping the virus replicating in the body, allowing the immune system to repair itself and prevent further damage.
Most people with HIV take a combination of medicines every day in the form of tablets.
If taken correctly this will reduce the level of HIV virus in the body to such a low amount that it cannot be passed on. This is called being Undetectable. U=U Undetectable = Untransmittable. Therefore, people living with HIV and on treatment cannot pass it on and there is no risk.
Contacting a sexual health service for the first time can be a little daunting, so here are some easy answers to many of the questions you may have.
You can take an HIV test at home simply by clicking here. People who are at particularly high risk of becoming infected with HIV may be advised to have regular tests.
Seek medical advice immediately if you think there’s a chance you could have been exposed to HIV. Anti-HIV medicine called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may stop you becoming infected if taken within 72 hours of being exposed.
Living with HIV can be challenging, but you don’t have to face it alone. As part of Provide Community, under the Essex Sexual Health Service we provide a safe and supportive environment for if things get difficult. Finding others living well with HIV means you’re not alone. Also, HIV treatment means that if taken correctly you will have a normal life expectancy and you will not pass the virus, even if you have condomless sex. You can find more information about the HIV Support Service here.