Understanding HIV: The Facts

HIV is the name of a virus. AIDS (what we now call late stage or advanced HIV) is the name for a collection of illnesses caused by this virus.

You can’t get an AIDS diagnosis unless you’re already HIV positive, but many people who have HIV will never have AIDS. This is because advances in HIV treatment mean that HIV is now a long term manageable condition.

Modern HIV treatment is highly effective. With regular medication and care, people living with HIV can expect to live as long as others without HIV. Staying on treatment keeps the immune system strong and prevents the virus from being passed on.

HIV can affect anyone, regardless of age, sexuality, ethnicity, or gender. It is shaped more by social and structural factors such as access to healthcare, stigma, and awareness than by personal choices or identity.

If you are HIV positive you can absolutely continue to have sex. Once you are on treatment and your viral load is undetectable you can continue to have sex as you were before diagnosis. Undetectable means you cannot pass it on to sexual partners, even without condoms.

This is known as U=U, or Undetectable = Untransmissible

It is very important that you use condoms, or take a break from sex until you know your treatment is working and your viral load is undetectable. To keep it undetectable, it is important to take your medication every day and attend all your appointments with your sexual health team.

People living with HIV can have children safely. If you are on effective treatment and have an undetectable viral load – the risk of HIV being passed on to the baby is just 0.1%.

Thanks to antenatal screening, treatment to block transmission and caesarean (c-section) delivery, only 0.3% of people with HIV (including people with a higher viral load) passed on HIV to their babies.

HIV can only be transmitted when specific body fluids (e.g. blood, semen and fluids from the vagina, but not saliva) enter another person's bloodstream.

HIV is transmitted by vaginal/frontal sex, anal sex, oral sex (though very rarely), and sharing injecting equipment. The virus cannot be transmitted by kissing, shaking hands, hugging or from toilet seats. It can also not be transmitted by tears, sweat, saliva and spitting, urine or faeces (poo).

It is completely safe to share objects someone with HIV has touched or used to eat or drink from, and there is no risk of transmission from swimming pools, showers, hot tubs or towels.

HIV is preventable, treatable, and manageable and people living with HIV can live long, healthy, full lives.