human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

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What you need to know

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a serious virus that attacks the immune system.
HIV is spread by having sex or sharing injection drug equipment with someone who is infected.
Protect yourself by using condoms and using PrEP or PEP as needed.
HIV cannot be cured but there is treatment that keeps people with HIV healthy. Treatment can also prevent spreading HIV.
Without treatment, HIV causes severe immune deficiency (also called AIDS) and is fatal.

HIV Basics

What is HIV and how do I get it?

HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. There is medicine to prevent infection and to control it, but there is no cure. People on HIV treatment can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners.

People can get or give HIV through:

Anal sex without a condom
Vaginal/frontal sex without a condom
Sharing drug injection equipment
Pregnancy or breastfeeding/chestfeeding
Other injection or mucosal exposure to blood. For example, getting stuck with a needle or other sharp object used by someone with HIV.

Only certain body fluids can transmit HIV. These fluids include:

Blood
Semen (including pre-cum)
Vaginal fluid
Rectal fluid
Breast milk/Chest milk

What are the symptoms of HIV?

There are three stages of HIV: Acute, Chronic, and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV treatment can slow and even partially reverse progression of the disease. Without treatment, people will progress to AIDS.

Acute (Very Early) HIV Infection

Right after infection, people will have large amounts of HIV in their blood. This is called a “high viral load." Having a high viral load greatly increases the chance of spreading HIV. Some people have no symptoms at all but many people will have flu-like symptoms, including:

Fever
Sore throat
Swollen lymph nodes
Rash, usually on chest or back
Muscle aches
Night sweats
Mouth ulcers
Chills
Fatigue (feeling very tired)

Chronic HIV Infection

After the acute HIV infection resolves, people develop chronic HIV. This is also called an asymptomatic HIV infection.

HIV is still active and continues to damage the immune system.
People may not have any symptoms or get sick during this phase, but they can still spread it.
Without HIV treatment, this stage may last several years before progressing to AIDS.
People who take HIV treatment as prescribed may never progress to AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

With advances in HIV treatment, progression to AIDS is far less common today than in the early years of HIV.

AIDS is the most severe stage of an HIV infection.
People with AIDS can have a high viral load. They may easily transmit HIV to others.
People with AIDS have badly damaged immune systems. This makes it easy to get serious illnesses which can be fatal.

These illnesses are called "opportunistic infections."

Without treatment, people with AIDS usually live about three years.

How do I avoid getting HIV?

If you are sexually active, do the following to lower your chances of getting HIV:

Have sex only with a partner(s) who knows their HIV status. If they are HIV positive, make sure they are getting treated, and their viral load is undetectable.
Use condoms.
Take medicine to prevent HIV infection. See HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
Take medicine immediately after exposure to HIV. See HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
Get tested for other STIs. Getting tested and treated for other STIs can lower your chances of getting or spreading HIV.
For people who use drugs, harm reduction programs help protect you.

Get tested for HIV

Testing is the only way to know if you are infected. Everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 years old should get tested for HIV at least once. HIV tests are quick, free, and painless. If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, get tested. Ask your health care provider what type of HIV test is right for you and how often you should be tested.

Most activities will not spread HIV

HIV cannot be spread by:

Kissing
Hugging
Shaking hands
Sharing space with someone
Sharing a toilet
Sharing household items such as cups, plates, cutlery, or bed linen
Any other general social contact

Who is most affected by HIV?

Some people are more likely to get HIV than others. Testing regularly will keep you and your partner(s) safe

You should get tested at least once a year if:

You're a man who has had sex with another man.
You've had anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV.
You've had more than one sex partner since your last HIV test.
You've shared needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment (for example, cookers).
You've exchanged sex for drugs or money.
You were diagnosed or treated for another STI, such as hepatitis, or tuberculosis (TB).
You've had sex with someone who has done anything listed above or you don't know their sexual history.

If you are pregnant

You should get tested for HIV during each pregnancy. If you have HIV, getting treatment can prevent your baby being born with HIV.
HIV medicine will help you achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load. This will reduce the risk of spreading HIV when breastfeeding or chestfeeding. The risk is reduced to less than one percent, but not zero.
If you wish to breastfeed or chestfeed, talk with their health care provider about the safest way to do so.

What if I get HIV?

Those who get effective treatment can live long, healthy lives. And they can protect their partners from getting HIV.

Treatment

If you have HIV, it's important to get on HIV medicine as soon as possible. The treatment will be antiretroviral therapy (ART). If you take it as prescribed, it will reduce the amount of virus in your body. If the virus cannot be found, it is called undetectable.

People who take HIV medicine and have an undetectable viral load will not spread HIV.

HIV medicine lowers the amount of HIV in blood to an undetectable level. This stops HIV infection from progressing. This helps people stay healthy and live longer. And prevents spread of the virus.
For most people it takes 3-6 months of daily medicine to achieve an undetectable viral load.
If HIV medicine is stopped, then HIV will come back. This increases the risk of spreading HIV to a sexual partner. Stopping and re-starting treatment can make it less effective. Talk with your provider if you have trouble with your HIV medicine.