HIV Basics
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HIV is a virus that attacks your immune system. Your immune system is your body’s built-in defense against diseases. Although your immune system is supposed to protect you from infections, HIV can sneak past it. HIV then attacks your immune system from the inside. Without HIV treatment, your immune system can become too weak to fight off serious illnesses. HIV can also damage other parts of your body. Eventually, you can become sick with life-threatening infections. These are called “opportunistic infections”, meaning they take the opportunity to infect a weak immune system. This is the most serious stage of HIV infection, called AIDS.
HIV is a virus that attacks your immune system. Your immune system is your body’s built-in defense against diseases. Although your immune system is supposed to protect you from infections, HIV can sneak past it. HIV then attacks your immune system from the inside. Without HIV treatment, your immune system can become too weak to fight off serious illnesses. HIV can also damage other parts of your body. Eventually, you can become sick with life-threatening infections. These are called “opportunistic infections”, meaning they take the opportunity to infect a weak immune system. This is the most serious stage of HIV infection, called AIDS.
How is HIV Transmitted?
HIV is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or body fluid of someone who is infected with the virus.
HIV can only be passed by these five body fluids:
The two main ways that HIV can be passed are:
HIV cannot be passed by:
HIV can only be passed by these five body fluids:
- Blood
- Semen (including pre-cum)
- Anal fluid
- Vaginal fluid
- Breast milk
The two main ways that HIV can be passed are:
- through unprotected sex (oral, anal, vaginal)
*Oral has a low risk of passing HIV as it is a mixture of the 5 fluids with saliva. However, oral is high risk for other STI's. - by sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs (including steroids or hormones)
- to a fetus or baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding (if you are living with HIV, with proper treatment and care, you can have a HIV-negative baby)
- by sharing needles or ink to get a tattoo
- by sharing needles or jewelry to get a body piercing
- by sharing acupuncture needles
HIV cannot be passed by:
- shaking hands, working or eating with someone who has HIV
- hugs or kisses
- coughs, sneezes or spitting
- swimming pools, toilet seats or water fountains
- insects or animals
Since November 1985, all blood products in Canada are checked for HIV, to ensure that it is safe to get a blood transfusion. There is no chance of getting HIV from donating blood.
HIV is very fragile and can not live outside of the body.
Signs & Symptoms
Often people who are newly HIV infected have few or no symptoms. Other times, symptoms of HIV are confused with other illnesses such as the flu. If a person were to have symptoms they would include:
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, groin or under the arms
- Diarrhea
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Fever, chills or sweats (especially at night)
- Frequent pneumonia's or shortness of breath
- Rash
Across Canada, 1 in 5 people living with HIV have not been diagnosed. The only way to know is to get tested.
(Places to get tested in Regina: HIV/STI Testing)
(Places to get tested in Regina: HIV/STI Testing)
To test for HIV, involves having some blood taken from your arm or a couple of drops of blood taken from your finger. All HIV tests have a window period, which is the time between exposure to HIV and the point when the test can accurately detect and diagnose HIV. The window period can be as long as three months because the test only looks for HIV antibodies.
We recommend that you get tested regularly (every 5 years, when you change sexual partners, or participate in high risk activities) and know your HIV status.
*PEP
If you are HIV-negative and may have been exposed to HIV, you can take PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). PEP drugs must be started as soon as possible (within 72 hours of being exposed to HIV) and need to be taken for 28 days. A person starts PEP after being exposed to HIV.
If you are HIV-negative and may have been exposed to HIV, you can take PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). PEP drugs must be started as soon as possible (within 72 hours of being exposed to HIV) and need to be taken for 28 days. A person starts PEP after being exposed to HIV.
HIV Prevention
Protecting yourself and your sex partners:
- Condoms and lube. Use a new condom every time you have sex. This will help protect you from HIV and other STIs (sexually transmitted infections), such as gonorrhea and syphilis. Use only water- or silicone-based lubricants; oil-based lubricants can make a condom break.
- PrEP. If you are HIV-negative and at higher risk for HIV, you might be a candidate for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). PrEP involves an HIV-negative person taking certain HIV drugs to reduce the risk of getting HIV. A person starts PrEP before being exposed to HIV. Talk to your doctor to find out if PrEP might be right for you.
If you use drugs, there are things you can do to protect yourself and practice safer drug use:
- Use a new needle and syringe every time you inject drugs (or steroids or hormones). Get new needles and supplies from your local harm reduction program, needle/syringe program or community health centre.
- Never share drug equipment (such as cookers, filters, water, alcohol swabs, pipes, straws), not even with your partner. Use your own drug equipment every time.
HIV Treatment
There is no vaccine or cure for HIV.
When combinations of powerful new drugs for antiretroviral therapy (ART) became available in the mid-1990s, HIV treatment was revolutionized. There was a drastic reduction in the number of illnesses experienced by people with HIV and increased survival. ART allowed many people with HIV to return to work and lead a full life.
Newer HIV treatments are safer, simpler and more effective than those available when ART was first introduced. The power of ART today is so profound that a young HIV-positive adult who begins treatment shortly after diagnosis, who takes his/her medicines every day exactly as directed and who has no or few co-existing health conditions is expected to live a near-normal lifespan.
Evidence also shows that HIV-positive people who are on ART, engaged in care, and have an ongoing undetectable viral load are substantially less likely to transmit HIV to others, be it through sex, when sharing equipment to use drugs, or during pregnancy and birth. In fact, the evidence for sexual transmission shows that people on ART who maintain an undetectable viral load do not pass HIV to their sexual partners. #Undetectable=Untransmitable
Newer HIV treatments are safer, simpler and more effective than those available when ART was first introduced. The power of ART today is so profound that a young HIV-positive adult who begins treatment shortly after diagnosis, who takes his/her medicines every day exactly as directed and who has no or few co-existing health conditions is expected to live a near-normal lifespan.
Evidence also shows that HIV-positive people who are on ART, engaged in care, and have an ongoing undetectable viral load are substantially less likely to transmit HIV to others, be it through sex, when sharing equipment to use drugs, or during pregnancy and birth. In fact, the evidence for sexual transmission shows that people on ART who maintain an undetectable viral load do not pass HIV to their sexual partners. #Undetectable=Untransmitable
AIDS
AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome
HIV and AIDS are not the same thing!
Without HIV treatment, your immune system can become too weak to fight off serious illnesses, and you can eventually become sick with life-threatening infections and cancers. This is called AIDS. However, thanks to effective HIV treatment, these days most people with HIV never get AIDS.
HIV and AIDS are not the same thing!
Without HIV treatment, your immune system can become too weak to fight off serious illnesses, and you can eventually become sick with life-threatening infections and cancers. This is called AIDS. However, thanks to effective HIV treatment, these days most people with HIV never get AIDS.