In brief...
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV, that causes AIDS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, can be caught during unprotected sex, by sharing injected drugs, or after receiving infected blood products in countries where they are not screened for HIV. It is easy for us to test for HIV, using a blood test, and there are useful drugs to limit its damage
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What is AIDS and what are the two main types of HIV?
AIDS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, is caused by a virus called Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Most people with HIV in the UK will have type 1 virus but there is another type called type 2.
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How can I get HIV/AIDS?
The four main ways of getting HIV are:
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Having anal, and/or vaginal, and/or (much less commonly) oral sex with someone who has HIV.
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Using, or sharing, needles, syringes or other drug-injecting equipment that has been used by someone who has HIV.
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From your mother, if she was HIV positive when you were in the womb, or at the time of your birth, or when you were being breastfed.
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By receiving infected blood, blood products or donated organs as part of medical treatment. In the UK this is no longer a significant risk because these products are tested for HIV. Very rarely, some medical workers have caught HIV from their patients as a result of accidents with needles etc.
You will not get HIV from:
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Casual contact, kissing, touching, hugging, shaking hands, or eating food prepared by someone who has HIV.
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Contact with saliva or by sharing crockery and cutlery.
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Contact with nose secretions, coughing or sneezing.
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Accidental contact with urine etc, by contact with toilet seats, swimming in pools.
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Insect or animal bites, including mosquitoes.
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How can I reduce my chances of getting HIV?
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Don't have unprotected sex, use a condom. More about safer sex.
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Don't share drug equipment. If you have to take drugs use clean equipment, you can get this from clinics that organise needle exchanges.
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Avoid non-essential medical or dental treatment when you are travelling in countries with less-advanced healthcare systems. They might not be as careful about avoiding HIV risks as are hospitals and dentists in the UK. If you are worried, seek advice from your general practitioner (GP) before you travel.
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What are the symptoms of HIV/AIDS?
Most people who are HIV positive will have no symptoms for several years. This is good, because it means that people who have HIV can live healthy lives until the disease progresses. It does, however, mean that you can have HIV and give it to other people without knowing it. It also means that you can't tell if your partner has HIV unless they know and tell you. Because of this we also might not be able to give you medication and help at the right time. This might mean you get unwell sooner than you need to.
Often, the first time you know you have HIV is when you start feeling unwell, for example you might feel feverish, tired and be losing weight.
During the progression of HIV to AIDS, you might get an unusual infection, or you might get a type of skin cancer called Kaposi's Sarcoma. Sometimes this is the first sign of HIV. HIV causes these problems because it weakens the immune system.
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Why should people be tested for HIV?
We have several tests that can tell you if you are infected with HIV. Most people think it is best to know their 'HIV status' because we can now treat HIV/AIDS with drugs that can reduce the symptoms and prolong life. If you know you have HIV you can take treatments before you become ill which can help you stay healthier for longer. The outlook for people diagnosed with HIV nowadays is much better than it was a few years ago.
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Why are pregnant women recommended to have an HIV test?
With treatment and extra care, we can also prevent HIV being passed from infected pregnant mothers to their babies. We can take these extra measures only if we know the woman is infected with HIV.
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Should I be tested?
It is a good idea to be tested, if you are worried that you might have been infected by someone who is HIV positive, or has AIDS. If you have some of the symptoms of HIV infection, see above, have had sex in the past without using a condom or have shared drug-injecting equipment.
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Why do some people ask to be tested more regularly?
Some people who have 'higher risk' behaviours and lifestyles like to be tested at regular intervals even if they are practising safer sex. Commonly this includes gay or bisexual men who are having casual sex. However, the latest health figures have shown that there are more new infections in straight, heterosexual, people in the UK than in gay, homosexual, men. Because the percentage of HIV-infected people in such groups varies with changes in behaviour, it is wise not to become complacent about your risks.
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What do I have to do to arrange a test at shac?
If you would like an HIV test just let us know, ideally when you make your appointment, and we can then book you in for a fast test.
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Why are people offered counselling before an HIV test?
We will talk to you about the test first, to discuss the implications and options. It will be explained to you that there is a 'three-month window' during which time the body makes antibodies to HIV; it is the presence of these antibodies in a blood sample that make an HIV test 'positive'. Being tested less than three months after infection can lead to a falsely negative result.
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What does the HIV test involve?
We will take a small blood sample from a vein in your arm and send this to our laboratory. In the laboratory we can look for antibodies, a reaction the body makes, to the virus. We can find these in your blood only if you were infected with HIV more than three months before the test. This is why if we carry out a test too soon, and the result is negative, it does not mean that you do not have the HIV infection. We might need to test you a few months later to make sure. You might start to make antibodies at anytime during the three-months after becoming infected.
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What should I do while I am waiting for the test results?
While you are waiting for the results of the first, or second test, you should be careful not to put yourself at further risk of infection.
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How will I get the results?
You will need to come back to the clinic to get the results of the test, we can't tell you over the phone.
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What does a positive test mean?
If we find antibodies to HIV, you are 'HIV positive'. When we tell you the result, we can offer to make an appointment for you to speak to an HIV specialist. They will help you plan how you can live with the infection with the least number of symptoms. They will also give you advice about how you can reduce the risks of passing the infection on to other people. The doctors and other members of the team, e.g counsellors, are used to providing care and support for people who have HIV infection.
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What does a negative test mean?
If you were tested for HIV three months or more after a 'risky experience or exposure', then a negative result means that you were not infected with HIV at that time. If you were given the virus less than three months ago, you might have a negative test now but you might still have HIV, this is because your body hasn't started making enough antibodies for us to find them.
"Being 'HIV negative' doesn't mean you won't get the virus in the future. Start to use safer sex now."
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Where can I get information, advice and support from?
Many national and local organisations will give you advice about how to avoid getting HIV, what to do if you think you are at risk, and what to do if you, or your partner, are HIV positive.
You can find these on our useful links page
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