What is HIV?

Other terms used: human immunodeficiency virus

HIV is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease. 

There's currently no cure for HIV, but there are very effective drug treatments that enable most people with the virus to live a long and healthy life. 

With an early diagnosis and If you manage your condition properly by taking your medicine correctly and avoiding illness, most people living with HIV should be able to live a near-normal and have a long life span.

How do you get HIV?

HIV is found in the body fluids of an infected person. This includes semen, vaginal and anal fluids, blood and breast milk. It's a fragile virus and does not survive outside the body for long.

HIV cannot be transmitted through sweat, urine or saliva. The most common way of getting HIV in the UK is through having anal or vaginal sex without a condom.

Other ways of getting HIV include:

• sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment
• transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding

The chance of getting HIV through oral sex is very low and will be dependent on many things, such as whether you receive or give oral sex and the oral hygiene of the person giving the oral sex.
HIV from infected blood

Since 1985, donated blood has been tested for HIV to make sure it’s as safe as possible. This means the risk of getting an infection from a blood transfusion from it is extremely low.

Support and Resources

Being diagnosed with HIV can be extremely distressing and overwhelming. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with HIV and requires any support, please contact the practice to speak to someone. Alternatively, there are a number of helpful organisations who can offer confidential support such as the Terrance Higgins Trust. 

• Metro Charity
• Croydon Sexual Health  
• Spectra 
• Fast Track Cities 
• Do It London