16 Frequently Asked Questions About HIV

Share on Pinterest Matt Porteous/Getty Images

There can be a lot of misinformation and misconceptions surrounding the human immunodeficiency virus, otherwise known as HIV.

Below, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions to help you understand more about the virus, including how it’s transmitted, who may be at risk, and options for treatment.

What exactly is HIV?

HIV is a virus that attacks and weakens the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight illnesses. It’s transmitted via bodily fluids like semen and blood.

HIV is currently incurable. But treatment does exist to help people with HIV live healthy lives.

How is HIV different from AIDS?

HIV can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated. This progression can take between 5 and 10 years on average.

AIDS is the final and most severe stage of an HIV infection, with the body struggling to combat infections and diseases as the virus has destroyed too many white blood cells. White blood cells play a crucial role in your immune system and help fight infection.

Symptoms can include:

persistent fevers, diarrhea, and headaches

severe fatigue

significant weight loss

opportunistic infections like pneumonia and tuberculosis

AIDS is eventually fatal.

Who is at risk for HIV?

Some people are more at risk of contracting HIV than others. They include:

people who have a penis who have condomless sex with other people who have a penis

people who have had condomless penetrative vaginal or anal sex with someone who is HIV-positive

people who share syringes or needles or come into contact with infected blood in other ways

babies whose birthing parent is HIV-positive

How is HIV transmitted?

HIV can be transmitted through a variety of bodily fluids, including:

pre-ejaculate

semen

blood

vaginal secretions

rectal secretions

breast milk

The fluid needs to come into contact with another person’s bloodstream via cuts, sores, or mucous membranes in order to transmit the virus.

Many transmission cases involve penetrative vaginal or anal sex without a condom or other barrier method. It’s possible to transmit HIV through oral sex, but the risk is thought to be much lower.

Sexual transmission is only possible if a person who is HIV-positive has a detectable viral load. Effective treatment can make the viral load undetectable.

Sharing needles and syringes while injecting drugs is another higher-risk activity if one person is HIV-positive.

It’s also possible for a pregnant person with HIV to transmit the virus to the baby either before, during, or after birth (after birth, the virus can be passed via breast milk).

According to the Office on Women’s Health, the risk of transmitting HIV to a baby is less than one percent if the pregnant person receives treatment and has an undetectable viral load.

How isn’t HIV transmitted?

It’s impossible to get HIV from close, non-sexual contact with others.

That means there’s no need to worry if someone coughs or sneezes near you, if you shake or hold someone’s hand, or if you visit public places like restrooms or swimming pools.

HIV also can’t be transmitted through saliva, so you can safely kiss and share food, drink, or cutlery with others.

»MORE:Living with an HIV-Positive Family Member

What does U=U mean?

U=U is an abbreviation from an informational campaign. It means undetectable = untransmittable.

It explains why regular and effective treatment is so important.

If a person with HIV is receiving treatment and consistently maintains an undetectable viral load, there’s essentially no risk of them transmitting the virus to a sexual partner.

How can you reduce your risk for HIV?

The best way to prevent HIV transmission is to abstain from in-person partnered sexual activity and to never share syringes and needles with others. It’s the only method that’s 100% effective.

But you don’t have to go to extremes when it comes to your sex life (unless you want to). You can reduce your overall risk by:

being honest and open about STI status, including HIV, with every sexual partner

using barrier methods like condoms consistently and correctly every time you have sex

taking preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

getting tested regularly for STIs

treating any STIs that are found

What is preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP)?

PrEP is a medication you can regularly take to further reduce your risk of contracting HIV. It’s available in pill or shot form and stops the virus from multiplying inside your body.

If taken correctly, PrEP can lower the chance of sexually transmitted HIV by around 99%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For injection drug users, PrEP pills can reduce the risk of contracting HIV by at least 74%. The PrEP shot isn’t recommended for people who use injection drugs.

Although people who have a higher risk of HIV are more likely to use PrEP, anyone who’s sexually active can use it.

It may be suitable for you if:

you have a sexual partner with HIV who has an unknown or detectable viral load

you have multiple sexual partners

you inject drugs and share equipment with others

you have been prescribed postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) on multiple occasions

Speak with a doctor or other healthcare professional if PrEP is something you’d like to explore.

What is postexposure prophylaxis (PEP)?

Unlike PrEP which acts as a preventive, PEP is taken after potential exposure to HIV to help stop the virus from replicating.

You might take PEP if you’ve had condomless sex with someone who has or may have HIV, if you’ve shared injection drug equipment with others who could have the virus, or if you’ve been sexually assaulted.

Think of PEP as an emergency treatment. PEP pills are taken for 28 days, but the medication needs to be started within 72 hours of possible HIV exposure. The sooner you get started, the more effective PEP is.

»MORE:PrEP vs. PEP

How often should you get tested for HIV?

According to the CDC, everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested at least once for HIV.

Some people may need to get tested more frequently. If you have a higher risk of contracting HIV, the CDC recommends getting tested at least once a year.

People who have a penis and have sex with other people who have a penis may want to get tested every 3 to 6 months.

People who are pregnant should also get tested in the early stages of pregnancy.

How is HIV diagnosed?

There’s not just one test that can diagnose HIV — a few exist.

But each has a different window for when it can accurately detect the virus after potential exposure.

Nucleic acid tests, which detect the virus in the blood, are often effective the soonest after exposure — between 10 and 33 days. Antibody tests are typically used 23 to 90 days after exposure.

Rapid antigen/antibody tests using blood from a fingerprick can be used 18 to 90 days after exposure. Rapid antigen/antibody tests that use blood from a vein are designed for use 18 to 45 days after potential exposure.

If you receive a negative result, you should take a second test after the window to ensure you don’t have HIV.

Positive results are also checked with a second test before a diagnosis is made.

What are the early symptoms of HIV?

HIV symptoms come in three stages.

The first stage often results in flu-like symptoms, including:

fever

sore throat

headache

fatigue

muscle and joint pain

People may also notice swollen lymph nodes, mouth ulcers, or an itchy, bumpy rash. However, some early symptoms are so mild that they’re almost unnoticeable.

Does your sex assigned at birth affect how symptoms appear?

HIV symptoms are similar in everyone. But there can be some differences.

For example, people assigned male at birth may be more likely to experience spots, sores, or other visible changes to their genitals.

People assigned female at birth have a higher risk of vaginal infections and pelvic inflammatory disease as well as changes to their menstrual cycle.

How long does it take for symptoms to appear?

The flu-like symptoms of HIV mentioned above can start to appear around 2 to 4 weeks after exposure and may last for days or weeks.

In cases where only mild symptoms occur, it can take a decade or longer for people to experience noticeable symptoms.

How is HIV treated?

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can treat HIV to the point where it’s no longer detectable in the blood. That means the virus won’t progress to later stages, such as AIDS, and is unlikely to be transmitted to others via sexual activity.

But it’s important to remember that there’s currently no cure for HIV, so lifelong treatment is needed.

Antiretroviral drugs work by stopping the replication of the virus inside the body and preventing further immune system damage. A combination of medications is sometimes needed, but these may be combined into one daily pill.

Most people who take antiretroviral medication for HIV have an undetectable viral load within 6 months.

Where can you learn more about HIV?

To find out more about HIV, including where to get tested, treated, and find support, visit these sites:

CDC HIV Basics

HIV.gov

National Prevention Information Network

The bottom line

Getting tested regularly for STIs and practicing safer sex and drug use are the best ways to prevent HIV.

The virus is incurable. But if you do test positive, treatment can help you live a healthy life, manage any symptoms, and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others.

Lauren Sharkey is a U.K.-based journalist and author specializing in women’s issues. When she isn’t trying to discover a way to banish migraines, she can be found uncovering the answers to your lurking health questions. She has also written a book profiling young female activists across the globe and is currently building a community of such resisters. Catch her on Twitter.

Posted : 2024-08-29 10:49

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.