What is HIV?

HIV is a virus that weakens the immune system. HIV stands for:

AIDs is a condition caused by HIV. AIDS stands for:

Acquired (Something you aren’t born with)

Immuno-deficiency (weakens your immune system)

Syndrome (a range of illnesses)

If you have AIDS this means that your immune system has been damaged by the HIV virus and you are at risk of illnesses which you are less able to fight off.  This usually happens after you have had HIV for a long time without being on treatment.

NO, they are not. 

HIV is the virus that affects your immune system. 

You may have HIV for some time before noticing any symptoms or becoming unwell.

It is! Let’s explain a bit more: Untreated HIV can lead to AIDS.  This happens if the HIV in your blood is left untreated, and the virus is able to multiply, damaging your immune system. 

Dying from AIDS is now rare in the UK and doesn’t need to happen.

Testing regularly to find out if you have an infection, and getting started on the medical treatment you need straight away is the best way to prevent HIV from affecting your health. This will help you avoid a ‘Late Diagnosis’.

The longer you have HIV before testing, the longer HIV has to multiply within your body.

This means it can start weakening the immune system.  If HIV has been in your system for a long time, it may already have started to impact your health. Finding out you have HIV after it has been present in your system for a long time is called late diagnosis. It is best to avoid a ‘late diagnosis’ by testing regularly, and finding out if you have HIV as early as possible, so you can start medication to stop the virus multiplying in your body.

The HIV virus is spread through bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. If left untreated it can be passed from person to person through: 

• vaginal or anal sex 
• breastfeeding
• when pregnant or giving birth
• if sharing needles to take drugs

Some people worry that you can catch HIV from shaking hands, sharing toilets, cuddling, coughing, sneezing or spitting. This is incorrect. You will only get HIV from a HIV positive person if their HIV is ‘detectable’ and you share or mix the bodily fluids above.

When someone has HIV but is on medical treatment which is working, their HIV viral load may become undetectable.

Once it is undetectable, you cannot pass HIV on through sex.

This is known as U=U (Undetectable = Untransmissible).

Click here for more information about U=U.

Viral load is the amount of the HIV virus in the blood.

A high viral load usually means that HIV is present and reproducing. When you have HIV, the amount of virus in your blood is called viral load.

The bigger your viral load, the higher the chance of passing on the virus to others.
When the viral load is high, your risk of becoming unwell and developing health conditions associated with AIDS is also higher.

The lower your viral load, the more your health is protected and the lower the risk of passing it on. Your viral load may become so low it is undetectable. This will only happen if you keep taking your medication.

Undetectable means your HIV viral load is so low that it cannot be seen anymore on your blood tests.  

This doesn’t mean it has gone completely, but it does mean you now cannot pass it on to other people through sex, even without using a condom. 

You can find out if your viral load is detectable or not by having a blood test. You usually need to go to a clinic for this. Detectable means they can find HIV in your blood, undetectable means the level is so low they can’t.

Untransmissible means you can’t give HIV to someone else through sex because your HIV viral load is so low.

That’s right! It means Undetectable equals Un-transmissible (U=U).

Basically, a person who is living with HIV and is taking effective treatment in the proper way and has reached an undetectable level Cannot Pass It On through sex.

Click here for more information about U=U and how to prevent getting or passing on HIV.

ANYONE can get HIV.

If you are sexually active now, or have been sexually active and haven’t tested since the last time you had unprotected sex you may be at risk. This is true even if you have only had sex with one person, and even if you don’t have any symptoms. You are also at risk if you share needles to take drugs. 

The only way to know for sure is to have an HIV test. Sometimes people will have symptoms for a short while, most often flu-like symptoms, but they may be mild, not noticeable or they may not happen at all. Some people have HIV for a long time without feeling unwell.

The test for HIV is a blood test, This can be either a small finger prick test at home or going to a clinic to have a blood test taken for you, from a vein in your arm.

Click here to learn more about testing options.

You do not have to pay for HIV testing in the UK.

Sexual health tests are free via your local NHS sexual health clinic or postal testing service  such as Bristol’s Unity Sexual Health, or your own NHS GP. 

You can pay for a test if you wish. Tests can be bought from leading pharmacies online or in person at around £30-35.

Click here for more information about testing and how to get a test.