Frequently Asked Questions

Our logo has a red ribbon which represents the work that we do in the are of HIV Prevention. This Ribbon is a globally recognised symbol of awareness of HIV and of support for those living with HIV.

It was important to us as a project that our message with our branding was as open and honest as the work we do and conversations that we have.

Our logo also has a black background, white text and a heart with 4 coloured stripes. These colours were not chosen by accident. We consulted our whole team when deciding on our logo as we knew the branding for the whole project would follow it. As a team it was very important that we had as many nations within the African and Caribbean diaspora represented as possible. What better way to do this than to use the colours that we see in the flags of our home nations, of our ancestral birthplaces. Red, Green, Yellow and blue are the most represented colours within those flags. Along with the black of our background and the white of the text. The heart shape was chosen as a symbol of our connection as a people, our sense of community and our ability to accept each other not just for what we have in common but for what we have to learn.

And as such our logo and our branding were born.

YES.

You can get HIV from anal sex, vaginal sex, with a partner who has HIV. If they are unaware of their status or if they have HIV and are not on effective medication.

Anyone can have HIV, and your sexual partner may not know they have it.

It is possible, but very rare. It is more likely to occur if you have cuts, ulcers or sores in your mouth, or if you are bleeding.

YES. You can get HIV through: childbirth or breastfeeding, from an HIV positive mother who is not on effective treatment.

You can also get HIV from sharing needles to inject yourself, and in rare cases from a blood transfusion, although this no longer happens in the UK because there are careful tests and checks before blood is transfused.

YES. You can treat HIV with medication which will allow you to live a full and healthy life, with a healthy lifespan similar to someone without HIV – especially if you get tested regularly, so any HIV infections are picked up early.

No. You CANNOT get HIV through sex from: someone who has HIV but is on treatment with an Undetectable viral load. (this means after a few months of treatment HIV can no longer be found in your blood tests)

This is known as U=U, or Undetectable = Untransmissible

No. In most cases you will not pass on HIV to your child through childbirth if you are on treatment with an Undetectable viral load, and follow the advice of your healthcare team during pregnancy.

You are only at risk if you are having sex (remember U = U) or sharing needles with this person.

You cannot get HIV from: sharing cutlery, sharing a towel, using the same toilet or bathroom.

Medication is the only way to ensure you can continue to have a healthy, happy life with a normal lifespan. You cannot cure HIV through: praying, bloodletting, eating special foods, or fasting. If you have a faith or religion, it is acceptable to take your medication alongside your religious practices.

Anyone can get HIV at some point in their life and it’s a good idea to take steps to protect yourself. But if you think you’re at risk, or might have HIV you don’t need to be scared or feel panicked. You CAN live positively with a full, healthy life and a normal lifespan.

It’s a good idea for everyone to follow these steps to ensure this happens and minimise the impact HIV can have:

• Regularly test for HIV (for free!)
• If you have HIV, find this out as early as possible
• Start medication straight away (also free!)
• Keep taking your HIV medication with the support of your medical team
• Reach an Undetectable viral load

If you’re living with HIV on HIV treatment and you reach an Undetectable viral load, it is even safe to have sex without a condom, in this situation you CANNOT pass it on through sex.

No, HIV is no longer a death sentence. When it was first discovered, before we had good treatment most people with HIV died far too early. Now many people who are on treatment for HIV can expect to live as long as others without HIV, have families if they wish, and stay healthy throughout their lives.

No.

HIV is a risk to everyone but there are groups of people with higher rates of HIV and some people may be more at risk. Anyone can get HIV, and anyone may have HIV, even if they feel well.

No.

When people first become infected they often experience flu-like symptoms.

Once this passes, people may not have any signs or symptoms for several years. If you have not been tested recently, you may have HIV and not know it.

If you test and discover you have HIV early, you can start treatment which means you may never become very ill from HIV.

If HIV is left untreated and your immune system becomes weaker, you may become ill from serious infections.

Common infections in this situation include Tuberculosis (TB), types of pneumonia (lung infections), and certain cancers.

Getting certain illnesses when you have advanced HIV may mean you have developed AIDs.

In the 1980s and early 1990s people with HIV would usually go on to develop AIDs, and often died. Now treatment means that in the UK very few people become seriously ill.

This is why it is so important to get tested regularly – the earlier you start treatment the less likely you are to become seriously ill.

U = U or U equals U means Undetectable equals Untransmittable.

Essentially this means that a person living with HIV on effective treatment who has reached a virus level of Undetectable CANNOT pass the HIV virus on to anybody else.

This means that they can live their life in exactly the same way as a person not living with HIV.

This also means that we are able to see an actual goal of no new transmissions in the UK in the very near future.

There were studies carried out to prove that U=U is scientifically sound they can be found here:

Partner Study 1

Partner Study 2

Questions about U=U: what, when, who, why….? | HIV i-Base

Can’t Pass It On | Terrence Higgins Trust (tht.org.uk)

U=U Horcelies story