Frequently Asked Questions
The following FAQ's below are from the National Prevention Information Network, the CDC’s division of HIV/AIDS prevention, and AIDS.gov.
Please scroll below through our FAQs. These questions have been tailored towards the age range of high school students.
For other FAQ, visit:
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/index.html
HIV Glossary
Other resources:
HIV/AIDS FAQs and Basic Facts
Retrieved from http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/hiv/faq.asp
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/
HIV/AIDS General FAQ’s
What is HIV?
What is AIDS?
How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS?
How is HIV spread?
Do condoms prevent HIV?
How safe is oral sex?
Can HIV be spread by kissing?
Is there a connection between HIV and other STDs?
How can I tell if I'm infected with HIV?
If a pregnant woman is HIV-positive, will her baby be born with HIV?
How do HIV tests work?
What is the “window period”?
What happens if my test is positive?
Is there a cure for HIV?
What is treatment?
What does it mean when someone has an “undetectable viral load”?
What is PEP?
Where did HIV come from?
How long does HIV survive outside the body?
Can I get HIV from mosquitoes?
Can I get HIV while playing sports?
Can I get HIV from casual contact (shaking hands, hugging, using a toilet, drinking from the same glass, or the sneezing and coughing of an infected person)?
I heard a rumor that…
What is HIV?
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS. It is spread through body fluids (blood, semen or vaginal fluid, and breast milk) and attacks the immune system. HIV destroys CD4 T-Cells, which are an important part of the body’s defense system. When the immune system is weakened, a person living with HIV is vulnerable to other infections and diseases. Today, treatment can help people live long, healthy lives with HIV. However, HIV/AIDS is still a serious, life-changing disease that has no cure.
What is AIDS?
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the final stage of HIV infection. A person living with AIDS has a very weak immune system, and they are at risk for many other infections and diseases such as pneumonia and certain cancers. These are called opportunistic infections, and an AIDS diagnosis can be based on the presence of these infections – which are rare in people with healthy immune systems – or when a person living with HIV has a CD4 cell count that drops below 200 (a person with a healthy immune system should have 500-1,000 CD4 cells). If a person with AIDS does not begin antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment, they will die within a few years.
How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS?
This depends on many factors, including a person’s overall health and how well they take care of themselves. In the early years of the AIDS epidemic (1980s-1996) doctors estimated that most people living with HIV would develop AIDS within 10 years. Now that we have much better treatment available (highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART), many people with HIV are able to live for decades without developing AIDS.
A person living with HIV is much more likely to stay healthy for longer when they are diagnosed and begin treatment as soon as they need it – if a person waits until they are very sick, their illness will be much more difficult to treat. This is one of the reasons that it is so important to know your status and seek regular medical care!
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV testing in your area.
How is HIV spread?
HIV is spread in three main ways:
1. Unprotected sex (anal, vaginal or oral sex without a condom) with a person who is HIV-positive;
2. Sharing needles with a person who is HIV-positive; or
3. From an HIV-positive mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
Our skin is very good at protecting us from viruses, but HIV can enter the bloodstream through cuts and sores, or through mucous membranes. These are the moist tissues that cover the openings to our bodies: in the mouth/throat, on the head of the penis (foreskin), in the vagina, and in the anus.
Sharing needles and injecting drugs is a high risk activity for HIV infection because it breaks the protective barrier of the skin and may introduce HIV directly into the bloodstream.
While there is a risk of HIV infection from anal, vaginal or oral sex without a condom, some sexual acts are higher risk than others. Unprotected anal sex is the highest risk sexual activity for HIV; however, unprotected vaginal sex is also very high risk. If you are sexually active, you should always use condoms to reduce your risk for HIV infection, test regularly for HIV, and ask your sexual partner(s) to get tested.
For more information about safer sex, visit: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/sexual-risk-factors/index.html
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV and STD testing in your area.
Do condoms prevent HIV?
Yes. While the only way to be 100% safe from sexual transmission of HIV and other STDs is to not have sex (also known as abstinence), using condoms correctly every time you have sex can greatly lower your risk of HIV infection as well as other STDs.
For information on how to correctly use condoms and discuss using condoms with your partner, visit: http://www.avert.org/condom.htm and http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/condom-10187.htm
For information about where to find free condoms in California, visit: http://www.teensource.org/ts/condoms/free
How safe is oral sex?
It is possible to become infected with HIV through oral sex, but it is a lower risk activity than unprotected anal or vaginal sex. Infection is possible if body fluids containing HIV came into contact with any cuts or sores in the mouth during oral sex.
Remember that other STDs are easily spread through oral sex. These include herpes, HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. The best way to protect yourself from STDs - including HIV - is the use of condoms or dental dams, as well as regular STD testing.
For more information about oral sex and HIV/STDs, visit http://www.avert.org/oral-sex.htm
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV and STD testing in your area.
Can HIV be spread by kissing?
There is no risk from closed-mouth kissing. Open-mouth (“french”) kissing is a very low risk activity. There is not enough of the virus in saliva to cause infection but if you or your partner have bleeding sores/cuts in your mouth, it is possible to transmit the virus.
Is there a connection between HIV and other STDs?
Yes. Having another STD puts a person at much greater risk for HIV infection if they have unprotected sex. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that being infected with HIV is 2 to 5 times more likely when a person has another STD. Using a condom is the best way to prevent STDs including HIV.
Some STDs, like herpes and syphilis, cause sores on the genitals (penis, vagina or anus) that allow the virus into the body. Other STDs that do not cause sores, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, can also increase the chances of infection. Having another STD also increases the chances that a person with HIV will transmit the virus to their sexual partner(s).
If you are sexually active, you should test regularly for STDs and ask your sexual partner(s) to get tested also. Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV and STD testing in your area. You can also ask your health care provider to give you an STD test. STD tests are confidential (this means no one will be told that you had the test or what your results are) and they are free or low cost.
How can I tell if I'm infected with HIV?
HIV infection often does not have any symptoms or signs: the only way to know your HIV status is by getting tested. Many people who are infected with HIV do not have any symptoms at all for 10 years or more. Not knowing your HIV status can put your health at risk, as well as the health of your sexual partner(s).
When a person is first infected with HIV, they may have some symptoms that are similar to the flu. These include feeling extremely tired and weak, having swollen lymph nodes, fever, and other symptoms. This is called acute HIV infection, and it usually lasts for a few weeks. After this initial period, a person may not have any more symptoms for years.
Later, once an individual’s immune system becomes weakened by HIV, they will begin having other symptoms. The following may be warning signs of advanced HIV infection:
For information on where to find an HIV testing site, visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx. You can also ask your health care provider to give you an HIV test. HIV tests are confidential (this means no one will be told that you had the test or what your results are) and they are free or low cost.
If a pregnant woman is HIV-positive, will her baby be born with HIV?
If a woman is HIV-positive, there is a risk of spreading the virus to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth or through breastfeeding. A woman who does not receive medical care and ART treatment during her pregnancy has a 25% chance of spreading the virus to her baby – that means that 1 in 4 babies would be HIV-positive.
The good news is that with treatment, the risk of mother-to-child transmission can be greatly reduced. If a woman receives treatment during her pregnancy, the risk of HIV infection for her baby is only 1 in 100. This is why it’s very important to get tested for HIV if you are pregnant, and to go to the doctor for regular checkups. It is totally possible for people living with HIV to have healthy children and families!
For more information about pregnancy and HIV, visit http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/pregnancy-and-childbirth/ and http://pwn.bc.ca/hiv-body/pregnancy-and-hiv/
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV testing in your area.
How do HIV tests work?
The most common kind of HIV test is an antibody test. This type of test doesn’t actually look for the virus – it finds out whether a person has antibodies, which are created when the immune system tries to fight a new HIV infection. It can take up to 12 weeks for the immune system to respond to a new HIV infection and create antibodies – during this time period, an antibody test may not give an accurate result. A person would need to wait at least 3 months to get tested using an antibody test, and then get retested after another 3 months to make sure their result was accurate. There are also newer kinds of tests today that look for the virus rather than antibodies – these viral load tests can detect an HIV infection much earlier.
If you think you might have been exposed to HIV (through unprotected sex, sharing needles or being exposed to blood) you should talk to a doctor about which HIV test is right for you.
If you decide to get tested for HIV, you may be offered a rapid test. A rapid test can either be done by taking a drop of blood from your finger, or through an oral swab (Q-tip in the mouth) – the virus can be detected in blood or saliva. A finger prick test is not very painful at all, and the oral test has no pain. It takes 10-20 minutes to get your results using a rapid test. Other testing sites may do a traditional blood test, and it can take one to two weeks to receive your results.
Results from an HIV test are always confidential - this means no one will be told that you had the test or what your results are. HIV tests are free or low cost.
Viral load tests that can detect an HIV infection much earlier than an antibody test are available at County of San Diego STD clinics as well as UCSD “Early Test” locations:
County of San Diego STD Clinics: http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/hhsa/programs/phs/hiv_std_hepatitis_branch/hiv_counseling_and_testing_services.html
The Early Test (UCSD): https://theearlytest.ucsd.edu/
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx to find other HIV testing locations near you.
What is the “window period”?
It can take up to 12 weeks for the body’s immune system to respond to a new HIV infection and create antibodies – during this period, an antibody test may not accurately detect that a person has been infected with HIV. These first weeks when a person is HIV-positive but may not get a positive test result are called the “window period”. There are other types of HIV tests that look for the virus rather than antibodies, which can detect an HIV infection much earlier.
If you think you might have been exposed to HIV (through unprotected sex, sharing needles or being exposed to blood) you should talk to a doctor about which HIV test is right for you.
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV testing in your area.
What happens if my test is positive?
When you get an HIV test, you will be given pre-test and post-test counseling. This means that a counselor will explain the test process and give you more information about HIV before you are tested. After the test, the counselor will tell you your results. If the test result is positive, your counselor will be with you to answer your questions and give you information about getting treatment and living a healthy life.
Getting a positive HIV test result can be very scary and emotional. If this happens, there are many resources available to help you learn more about living with HIV as well as connect with other people who are living with HIV.
Pozitude is a website for young people living with HIV. Their site is a good place to start: http://www.pozitude.co.uk/
AIDS.gov has a lot of information for people who have been diagnosed with HIV: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/just-diagnosed-with-hiv-aids/overview/newly-diagnosed/
The Body also has a site for people who have just been diagnosed: http://www.thebody.com/content/49985/just-diagnosed-with-hiv-aids.html?ic=3001
Is there a cure for HIV?
No, there is no cure for HIV. We do have effective treatment that can help people live healthy lives after being diagnosed with HIV – but it can’t cure them. Scientists are working on vaccines to prevent HIV and treatment that can cure the disease, but so far these have not been successful.
For more information about research on a cure for HIV as well as the danger of fake “cures”, visit: http://www.avert.org/cure-for-aids.htm
What is treatment for HIV?
People living with HIV can take antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to stay healthy. Treatment with ARVs is known as antiretroviral therapy (ART). ARV drugs do not kill the HIV virus. They stop the virus from making more copies of itself, which reduces the viral load (the amount of the virus in the blood). By stopping the virus from making copies of itself and destroying CD4 cells, ARVS help keep the immune system strong.
There are more than 30 different types of ARVs available today. Most people take a combination of 3 or more different ARV drugs – this is called combination therapy, and it works better than only taking one drug. It also helps to prevent drug resistance, which is when a drug stops working because of mutations in the virus.
Drug resistance can happen if a person does not take their drugs when/how they are supposed to – if a person stops taking their ARVs for a while (even for one day), they may not work when they start taking them again. This is very dangerous, because it creates strains of the virus that are immune to treatment.
For more information about HIV treatment, visit: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/just-diagnosed-with-hiv-aids/treatment-options/overview-of-hiv-treatments/index.html
What does it mean when someone has an “undetectable viral load”?
Having an undetectable viral load is the goal of treatment for a person living with HIV. When someone is being treated with ARV drugs, they may have so few copies of the virus in their blood that it does not show up in a viral load test. This does not mean that this person has been cured of HIV – just that they are very healthy. They still need to practice safe sex and not share needles, because they can still infect their partner(s) with HIV.
What is PEP?
If a person has been exposed to HIV, they can take post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to reduce their chance of infection. A person might need PEP if they were exposed to HIV through an accident like a broken condom, or if they were sexually assaulted. PEP treatment means taking ARV drugs for 28 days, and it must be started within 72 hours of exposure to the virus.
For more information about PEP, visit: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/post-exposure-prophylaxis/
Where did HIV come from?
In 1999, scientists discovered that HIV originally came from a primate disease called simian immunodeficiency disease (SIV). This is a disease similar to HIV that affects apes and monkeys. The virus made the jump from primates to humans in West Africa, when hunters who killed chimpanzees for meat were exposed to blood containing SIV and a mutation in the virus allowed it to infect humans. The earliest known case of HIV in humans was in 1959, in a man in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By the mid- to late-1970s, the disease had spread through Europe to the United States, and the first official cases of what we now know as AIDS were diagnosed in the early 1980s in Los Angeles and New York.
For more information on the history of the AIDS epidemic, visit:
AIDS.gov: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/aids-timeline/
How long does HIV survive outside the body?
Generally, HIV breaks down quickly outside of the body when it is exposed to the air, sunlight and heat. While we don’t know exactly how long the virus survives outside of body, there has never been a case of someone contracting HIV from an environmental exposure (this means no one has ever been infected with HIV after coming into contact with body fluids on a toilet, a countertop, on shared cups or utensils, etc).
However, the virus can live for days or weeks inside of a syringe/needle – this is why injecting drugs and sharing needles is a high risk behavior. Many people have become infected with HIV this way.
For more information about the risks of injecting drugs and sharing needles, visit http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/substance-abuse-use/
Can I get HIV from mosquitoes?
No. This is a common myth, but scientific studies by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and other organizations have found that HIV cannot be spread by insects. Basically, when a mosquito bites a person, the blood goes into the insect’s stomach where the virus is digested. When the mosquito bites its next victim, it injects saliva – not blood – and the virus cannot be transmitted in this way. Other diseases, like malaria, are able to multiply inside the insect and spread through its saliva; HIV is different, and can only multiply and spread from a human host. Bug bites are irritating, but they can’t spread HIV.
Can I get HIV while playing sports?
There has never been a case of someone being infected with HIV while playing sports. However, if someone is injured during a game and is bleeding, they should stop playing until their wound is carefully cleaned and bandaged. Remember, you should always take precautions in a situation where someone is bleeding.
Can I get HIV from casual contact (shaking hands, hugging, using a toilet, drinking from the same glass, or the sneezing and coughing of an infected person)?
No. Remember that HIV is spread through body fluids. In the United States, HIV infections are almost always a result of having had unprotected sex or shared needles to inject drugs. Sometimes HIV is spread from a pregnant mother with HIV to her baby, and on rare occasions healthcare workers have been infected when they are exposed to blood that contains the virus while treating a patient. HIV is not transmitted through shaking hands, hugging, or a casual kiss. You cannot become infected from a toilet seat, a drinking fountain, a door knob, dishes, drinking glasses, food, or pets.
I heard a rumor that…
There are a lot of rumors about HIV/AIDS, especially on the internet. A lot of information online is not true, and it’s important to make sure you get information about your health from sources that you can trust.
Wrong information about HIV/AIDS includes stories like:
· HIV does not cause AIDS;
· HIV was created by the government;
· There is a cure for HIV;
· Medicine used to treat HIV doesn’t work or causes AIDS;
· Only gay men and drug users are at risk for HIV;
· And many other stories.
None of these rumors are true, and they are very dangerous because they discourage people from getting tested and treated for HIV/AIDS.
Please scroll below through our FAQs. These questions have been tailored towards the age range of high school students.
For other FAQ, visit:
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/index.html
HIV Glossary
Other resources:
HIV/AIDS FAQs and Basic Facts
Retrieved from http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/hiv/faq.asp
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/
HIV/AIDS General FAQ’s
What is HIV?
What is AIDS?
How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS?
How is HIV spread?
Do condoms prevent HIV?
How safe is oral sex?
Can HIV be spread by kissing?
Is there a connection between HIV and other STDs?
How can I tell if I'm infected with HIV?
If a pregnant woman is HIV-positive, will her baby be born with HIV?
How do HIV tests work?
What is the “window period”?
What happens if my test is positive?
Is there a cure for HIV?
What is treatment?
What does it mean when someone has an “undetectable viral load”?
What is PEP?
Where did HIV come from?
How long does HIV survive outside the body?
Can I get HIV from mosquitoes?
Can I get HIV while playing sports?
Can I get HIV from casual contact (shaking hands, hugging, using a toilet, drinking from the same glass, or the sneezing and coughing of an infected person)?
I heard a rumor that…
What is HIV?
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS. It is spread through body fluids (blood, semen or vaginal fluid, and breast milk) and attacks the immune system. HIV destroys CD4 T-Cells, which are an important part of the body’s defense system. When the immune system is weakened, a person living with HIV is vulnerable to other infections and diseases. Today, treatment can help people live long, healthy lives with HIV. However, HIV/AIDS is still a serious, life-changing disease that has no cure.
What is AIDS?
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the final stage of HIV infection. A person living with AIDS has a very weak immune system, and they are at risk for many other infections and diseases such as pneumonia and certain cancers. These are called opportunistic infections, and an AIDS diagnosis can be based on the presence of these infections – which are rare in people with healthy immune systems – or when a person living with HIV has a CD4 cell count that drops below 200 (a person with a healthy immune system should have 500-1,000 CD4 cells). If a person with AIDS does not begin antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment, they will die within a few years.
How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS?
This depends on many factors, including a person’s overall health and how well they take care of themselves. In the early years of the AIDS epidemic (1980s-1996) doctors estimated that most people living with HIV would develop AIDS within 10 years. Now that we have much better treatment available (highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART), many people with HIV are able to live for decades without developing AIDS.
A person living with HIV is much more likely to stay healthy for longer when they are diagnosed and begin treatment as soon as they need it – if a person waits until they are very sick, their illness will be much more difficult to treat. This is one of the reasons that it is so important to know your status and seek regular medical care!
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV testing in your area.
How is HIV spread?
HIV is spread in three main ways:
1. Unprotected sex (anal, vaginal or oral sex without a condom) with a person who is HIV-positive;
2. Sharing needles with a person who is HIV-positive; or
3. From an HIV-positive mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
Our skin is very good at protecting us from viruses, but HIV can enter the bloodstream through cuts and sores, or through mucous membranes. These are the moist tissues that cover the openings to our bodies: in the mouth/throat, on the head of the penis (foreskin), in the vagina, and in the anus.
Sharing needles and injecting drugs is a high risk activity for HIV infection because it breaks the protective barrier of the skin and may introduce HIV directly into the bloodstream.
While there is a risk of HIV infection from anal, vaginal or oral sex without a condom, some sexual acts are higher risk than others. Unprotected anal sex is the highest risk sexual activity for HIV; however, unprotected vaginal sex is also very high risk. If you are sexually active, you should always use condoms to reduce your risk for HIV infection, test regularly for HIV, and ask your sexual partner(s) to get tested.
For more information about safer sex, visit: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/sexual-risk-factors/index.html
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV and STD testing in your area.
Do condoms prevent HIV?
Yes. While the only way to be 100% safe from sexual transmission of HIV and other STDs is to not have sex (also known as abstinence), using condoms correctly every time you have sex can greatly lower your risk of HIV infection as well as other STDs.
For information on how to correctly use condoms and discuss using condoms with your partner, visit: http://www.avert.org/condom.htm and http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/condom-10187.htm
For information about where to find free condoms in California, visit: http://www.teensource.org/ts/condoms/free
How safe is oral sex?
It is possible to become infected with HIV through oral sex, but it is a lower risk activity than unprotected anal or vaginal sex. Infection is possible if body fluids containing HIV came into contact with any cuts or sores in the mouth during oral sex.
Remember that other STDs are easily spread through oral sex. These include herpes, HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. The best way to protect yourself from STDs - including HIV - is the use of condoms or dental dams, as well as regular STD testing.
For more information about oral sex and HIV/STDs, visit http://www.avert.org/oral-sex.htm
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV and STD testing in your area.
Can HIV be spread by kissing?
There is no risk from closed-mouth kissing. Open-mouth (“french”) kissing is a very low risk activity. There is not enough of the virus in saliva to cause infection but if you or your partner have bleeding sores/cuts in your mouth, it is possible to transmit the virus.
Is there a connection between HIV and other STDs?
Yes. Having another STD puts a person at much greater risk for HIV infection if they have unprotected sex. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that being infected with HIV is 2 to 5 times more likely when a person has another STD. Using a condom is the best way to prevent STDs including HIV.
Some STDs, like herpes and syphilis, cause sores on the genitals (penis, vagina or anus) that allow the virus into the body. Other STDs that do not cause sores, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, can also increase the chances of infection. Having another STD also increases the chances that a person with HIV will transmit the virus to their sexual partner(s).
If you are sexually active, you should test regularly for STDs and ask your sexual partner(s) to get tested also. Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV and STD testing in your area. You can also ask your health care provider to give you an STD test. STD tests are confidential (this means no one will be told that you had the test or what your results are) and they are free or low cost.
How can I tell if I'm infected with HIV?
HIV infection often does not have any symptoms or signs: the only way to know your HIV status is by getting tested. Many people who are infected with HIV do not have any symptoms at all for 10 years or more. Not knowing your HIV status can put your health at risk, as well as the health of your sexual partner(s).
When a person is first infected with HIV, they may have some symptoms that are similar to the flu. These include feeling extremely tired and weak, having swollen lymph nodes, fever, and other symptoms. This is called acute HIV infection, and it usually lasts for a few weeks. After this initial period, a person may not have any more symptoms for years.
Later, once an individual’s immune system becomes weakened by HIV, they will begin having other symptoms. The following may be warning signs of advanced HIV infection:
- Losing weight quickly
- Feeling extremely tired and weak
- Swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck
- Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
- Pneumonia
- White spots on the tongue, in the mouth, or in the throat
- Red or purple spots on the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids
For information on where to find an HIV testing site, visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx. You can also ask your health care provider to give you an HIV test. HIV tests are confidential (this means no one will be told that you had the test or what your results are) and they are free or low cost.
If a pregnant woman is HIV-positive, will her baby be born with HIV?
If a woman is HIV-positive, there is a risk of spreading the virus to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth or through breastfeeding. A woman who does not receive medical care and ART treatment during her pregnancy has a 25% chance of spreading the virus to her baby – that means that 1 in 4 babies would be HIV-positive.
The good news is that with treatment, the risk of mother-to-child transmission can be greatly reduced. If a woman receives treatment during her pregnancy, the risk of HIV infection for her baby is only 1 in 100. This is why it’s very important to get tested for HIV if you are pregnant, and to go to the doctor for regular checkups. It is totally possible for people living with HIV to have healthy children and families!
For more information about pregnancy and HIV, visit http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/pregnancy-and-childbirth/ and http://pwn.bc.ca/hiv-body/pregnancy-and-hiv/
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV testing in your area.
How do HIV tests work?
The most common kind of HIV test is an antibody test. This type of test doesn’t actually look for the virus – it finds out whether a person has antibodies, which are created when the immune system tries to fight a new HIV infection. It can take up to 12 weeks for the immune system to respond to a new HIV infection and create antibodies – during this time period, an antibody test may not give an accurate result. A person would need to wait at least 3 months to get tested using an antibody test, and then get retested after another 3 months to make sure their result was accurate. There are also newer kinds of tests today that look for the virus rather than antibodies – these viral load tests can detect an HIV infection much earlier.
If you think you might have been exposed to HIV (through unprotected sex, sharing needles or being exposed to blood) you should talk to a doctor about which HIV test is right for you.
If you decide to get tested for HIV, you may be offered a rapid test. A rapid test can either be done by taking a drop of blood from your finger, or through an oral swab (Q-tip in the mouth) – the virus can be detected in blood or saliva. A finger prick test is not very painful at all, and the oral test has no pain. It takes 10-20 minutes to get your results using a rapid test. Other testing sites may do a traditional blood test, and it can take one to two weeks to receive your results.
Results from an HIV test are always confidential - this means no one will be told that you had the test or what your results are. HIV tests are free or low cost.
Viral load tests that can detect an HIV infection much earlier than an antibody test are available at County of San Diego STD clinics as well as UCSD “Early Test” locations:
County of San Diego STD Clinics: http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/hhsa/programs/phs/hiv_std_hepatitis_branch/hiv_counseling_and_testing_services.html
The Early Test (UCSD): https://theearlytest.ucsd.edu/
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx to find other HIV testing locations near you.
What is the “window period”?
It can take up to 12 weeks for the body’s immune system to respond to a new HIV infection and create antibodies – during this period, an antibody test may not accurately detect that a person has been infected with HIV. These first weeks when a person is HIV-positive but may not get a positive test result are called the “window period”. There are other types of HIV tests that look for the virus rather than antibodies, which can detect an HIV infection much earlier.
If you think you might have been exposed to HIV (through unprotected sex, sharing needles or being exposed to blood) you should talk to a doctor about which HIV test is right for you.
Visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/Default.aspx for more information about HIV testing in your area.
What happens if my test is positive?
When you get an HIV test, you will be given pre-test and post-test counseling. This means that a counselor will explain the test process and give you more information about HIV before you are tested. After the test, the counselor will tell you your results. If the test result is positive, your counselor will be with you to answer your questions and give you information about getting treatment and living a healthy life.
Getting a positive HIV test result can be very scary and emotional. If this happens, there are many resources available to help you learn more about living with HIV as well as connect with other people who are living with HIV.
Pozitude is a website for young people living with HIV. Their site is a good place to start: http://www.pozitude.co.uk/
AIDS.gov has a lot of information for people who have been diagnosed with HIV: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/just-diagnosed-with-hiv-aids/overview/newly-diagnosed/
The Body also has a site for people who have just been diagnosed: http://www.thebody.com/content/49985/just-diagnosed-with-hiv-aids.html?ic=3001
Is there a cure for HIV?
No, there is no cure for HIV. We do have effective treatment that can help people live healthy lives after being diagnosed with HIV – but it can’t cure them. Scientists are working on vaccines to prevent HIV and treatment that can cure the disease, but so far these have not been successful.
For more information about research on a cure for HIV as well as the danger of fake “cures”, visit: http://www.avert.org/cure-for-aids.htm
What is treatment for HIV?
People living with HIV can take antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to stay healthy. Treatment with ARVs is known as antiretroviral therapy (ART). ARV drugs do not kill the HIV virus. They stop the virus from making more copies of itself, which reduces the viral load (the amount of the virus in the blood). By stopping the virus from making copies of itself and destroying CD4 cells, ARVS help keep the immune system strong.
There are more than 30 different types of ARVs available today. Most people take a combination of 3 or more different ARV drugs – this is called combination therapy, and it works better than only taking one drug. It also helps to prevent drug resistance, which is when a drug stops working because of mutations in the virus.
Drug resistance can happen if a person does not take their drugs when/how they are supposed to – if a person stops taking their ARVs for a while (even for one day), they may not work when they start taking them again. This is very dangerous, because it creates strains of the virus that are immune to treatment.
For more information about HIV treatment, visit: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/just-diagnosed-with-hiv-aids/treatment-options/overview-of-hiv-treatments/index.html
What does it mean when someone has an “undetectable viral load”?
Having an undetectable viral load is the goal of treatment for a person living with HIV. When someone is being treated with ARV drugs, they may have so few copies of the virus in their blood that it does not show up in a viral load test. This does not mean that this person has been cured of HIV – just that they are very healthy. They still need to practice safe sex and not share needles, because they can still infect their partner(s) with HIV.
What is PEP?
If a person has been exposed to HIV, they can take post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to reduce their chance of infection. A person might need PEP if they were exposed to HIV through an accident like a broken condom, or if they were sexually assaulted. PEP treatment means taking ARV drugs for 28 days, and it must be started within 72 hours of exposure to the virus.
For more information about PEP, visit: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/post-exposure-prophylaxis/
Where did HIV come from?
In 1999, scientists discovered that HIV originally came from a primate disease called simian immunodeficiency disease (SIV). This is a disease similar to HIV that affects apes and monkeys. The virus made the jump from primates to humans in West Africa, when hunters who killed chimpanzees for meat were exposed to blood containing SIV and a mutation in the virus allowed it to infect humans. The earliest known case of HIV in humans was in 1959, in a man in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By the mid- to late-1970s, the disease had spread through Europe to the United States, and the first official cases of what we now know as AIDS were diagnosed in the early 1980s in Los Angeles and New York.
For more information on the history of the AIDS epidemic, visit:
AIDS.gov: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/aids-timeline/
How long does HIV survive outside the body?
Generally, HIV breaks down quickly outside of the body when it is exposed to the air, sunlight and heat. While we don’t know exactly how long the virus survives outside of body, there has never been a case of someone contracting HIV from an environmental exposure (this means no one has ever been infected with HIV after coming into contact with body fluids on a toilet, a countertop, on shared cups or utensils, etc).
However, the virus can live for days or weeks inside of a syringe/needle – this is why injecting drugs and sharing needles is a high risk behavior. Many people have become infected with HIV this way.
For more information about the risks of injecting drugs and sharing needles, visit http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/substance-abuse-use/
Can I get HIV from mosquitoes?
No. This is a common myth, but scientific studies by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and other organizations have found that HIV cannot be spread by insects. Basically, when a mosquito bites a person, the blood goes into the insect’s stomach where the virus is digested. When the mosquito bites its next victim, it injects saliva – not blood – and the virus cannot be transmitted in this way. Other diseases, like malaria, are able to multiply inside the insect and spread through its saliva; HIV is different, and can only multiply and spread from a human host. Bug bites are irritating, but they can’t spread HIV.
Can I get HIV while playing sports?
There has never been a case of someone being infected with HIV while playing sports. However, if someone is injured during a game and is bleeding, they should stop playing until their wound is carefully cleaned and bandaged. Remember, you should always take precautions in a situation where someone is bleeding.
Can I get HIV from casual contact (shaking hands, hugging, using a toilet, drinking from the same glass, or the sneezing and coughing of an infected person)?
No. Remember that HIV is spread through body fluids. In the United States, HIV infections are almost always a result of having had unprotected sex or shared needles to inject drugs. Sometimes HIV is spread from a pregnant mother with HIV to her baby, and on rare occasions healthcare workers have been infected when they are exposed to blood that contains the virus while treating a patient. HIV is not transmitted through shaking hands, hugging, or a casual kiss. You cannot become infected from a toilet seat, a drinking fountain, a door knob, dishes, drinking glasses, food, or pets.
I heard a rumor that…
There are a lot of rumors about HIV/AIDS, especially on the internet. A lot of information online is not true, and it’s important to make sure you get information about your health from sources that you can trust.
Wrong information about HIV/AIDS includes stories like:
· HIV does not cause AIDS;
· HIV was created by the government;
· There is a cure for HIV;
· Medicine used to treat HIV doesn’t work or causes AIDS;
· Only gay men and drug users are at risk for HIV;
· And many other stories.
None of these rumors are true, and they are very dangerous because they discourage people from getting tested and treated for HIV/AIDS.