HIV

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV attacks the body's immune system, the body's defence against disease, so that it can no longer fight off certain infections. Initially a person may not show any symptoms so might not know that they are infected with HIV. You can have HIV for a long time, but not know it. However, in most cases the immune system will require help from HIV treatments to keep the infection under control. This is why we recommend that people test regularly if they have put themselves at risk. HIV can't be cured, but the treatments are improving and will keep people healthy for a long time.

AIDS

HIV is the virus which causes AIDS, (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). We say that a person has AIDS when their immune system has become so weak it can no longer fight off a whole range of diseases which it would normally cope with.

How is it transmitted?

Body fluids that contain enough HIV to infect someone are:
• Sperm and seminal fluids
• Vaginal fluids, including menstrual fluids
• Breast milk
• Blood

Other body fluids like saliva, sweat or urine, do not have enough of the virus in them to infect other people.

Transmission through sex

Worldwide the majority of HIV is transmitted through unprotected sex, so anal and vaginal sex without a condom is considered as high risk sexual behaviour. Oral sex can also transmit HIV but is considered a lower risk.

The best way to protect you and others from HIV is by practising safer sex with consistent and proper use of condoms. Condoms for vaginal sex are the best way to prevent infection and condoms and plenty of water based lube is what we would recommend for anal sex. Flavoured condoms are also recommended for oral sex.

HIV is not usually passed on when:
• a man who does not have HIV receives oral sex (has it done to him) from someone who is positive
• a women receives oral sex (has it done to her) from someone who is HIV positive

Mother to baby transmission

HIV can be passed from mother to baby during birth, so all pregnant women are offered a test.

If the mother tests positive this does not mean that her baby will automatically have HIV. With the right support, guidance and treatments, the risk of mother to baby transmission can be reduced to 1%. Mothers with HIV are also strongly advised to bottle feed their babies rather than breastfeed to reduce the risk of infection.

Blood to blood

Bleeding on its own is not enough to pass on HIV infection. The blood of someone with HIV needs to leave the body and enter into the body of an uninfected person. Before 1985/6 a number of people, including some with haemophilia, were infected through blood products and transfusions. Since then all blood donations have been screened for HIV and blood products have been treated in the UK .

Sharing needles is a high risk activity, so intravenous drug users (and those who inject steroids into their muscles) are encouraged to use their own clean needles to prevent infection. We also recommend that people do not share any drug injecting equipment because this can also have traces of HIV on it.

Getting an HIV test

An HIV test will tell you whether or not you are infected with HIV. The most commonly used test available is an antibody test. The test looks for antibodies which are created by the immune system when HIV has entered the body. It can take up to three months for the body to produce enough antibodies to show up on an antibody test. This is known as the window period. It is important to remember that a person might have high levels of the virus in their bodies in this period so they could be very infectious and pass on the virus to others.

A positive result

If antibodies are found in your blood this means that the person having the test is HIV positive. This does not mean you they have AIDS. The test does not show how ill someone is or when they are likely to become unwell. Once someone is diagnosed other tests will be carried out on a regular basis and the results of these tests will be a guiding factor on any decisions to start treatment.

A negative result

If the test does not find any antibodies, the result will be recorded as HIV negative. This means that a person does not have detectable HIV in his/her blood at the time of the test. This result would be classed as more accurate if the test is done after the window period (three months).

Treatment

Taking a combination of anti-HIV drugs (combination therapy) can successfully reduce the level of HIV in the blood and in many cases has a dramatic effect on improving the health and life expectancy of someone living with HIV. The treatments will not cure HIV, but they can help keep the virus under control.

For more information on HIV follow this link to Terrence Higgins Trust website www.tht.org.uk or call THT direct on 0845 12 21 200