Everything You Need to Know About HIV and AIDS

In One Sentence: HIV is a manageable virus that affects your immune system, and with modern medicine, you can live a long, healthy life without passing it on to anyone else.

Medical treatment has come a very long way since the 1980s. In fact, the UK Government has a life changing goal to end all new HIV cases by the year 2030. Sadly, HIV and AIDS are sometimes still misunderstood because people do not have all the latest facts. The great news is that testing for HIV in the UK is quick, free, and easy. With the right daily medication, a person with HIV can live a completely full and healthy life. In this guide, we will explore everything you need to know to stay safe, get tested, and understand how modern medicine has changed HIV care for the better.

Key Takeaways

What is HIV?

It is a virus that attacks your body's natural defence system. If left untreated, it makes it harder for your body to fight off everyday germs and infections.

Is HIV the same thing as AIDS?

No. AIDS is a term used for the most advanced stage of the virus. Because treatment in the UK is so effective, it is very rare for HIV to develop into AIDS today.

Can HIV be treated?

Yes. Taking daily tablets keeps the virus fully under control. The medicine works so well that the virus becomes completely undetectable in the blood, meaning you cannot pass it on.

What is HIV and how does it affect your body?

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a virus that directly attacks your immune system, specifically targeting the white blood cells called CD4 cells. These cells help you fight off everyday infections. If left untreated, your body finds it much harder to recover from simple illnesses.

HIV is usually passed on during unprotected sex. Once the virus is inside the body, it multiplies. Doctors can measure how healthy your immune system is by checking your CD4 cell count. If doctors find the virus early through a simple test, they can give you medicine to stop the virus from damaging any more of these important cells.

Is there a difference between HIV and AIDS?

HIV is the actual virus that causes the infection. AIDS is a collection of illnesses that happen during the most advanced stage of that infection. AIDS only happens when the immune system has been severely damaged by the HIV virus over many years without medical treatment.

Thankfully, modern healthcare in the UK means that HIV is almost always caught and treated long before it causes severe damage. Because of this, the term AIDS is rarely used by British doctors today. Instead, healthcare professionals will usually use the term "late stage HIV" or "advanced HIV" if a patient's immune system is very weak.

What are the early and late symptoms of HIV?

The very first symptoms of HIV usually feel like a mild case of the flu and happen around two to six weeks after catching the virus. Doctors call this early stage a seroconversion illness. This is when your body tries to make antibodies to fight the virus.

Early symptoms can include a high temperature, a sore throat, a blotchy red rash across the body, and swollen glands in the neck or armpits.

After these flu like symptoms go away, a person might feel completely healthy for many years. However, the virus is still quietly damaging the immune system. Years later, late symptoms might appear. These include heavy sweating during the night, extreme tiredness, unexplained weight loss, and frequent cold sores or thrush in the mouth.

How do you catch HIV?

HIV is spread when infected bodily fluids get into another person's bloodstream. The specific fluids that carry the virus are blood, semen, vaginal fluids, mucus from the anus, and breast milk. The virus is absolutely never spread by everyday casual contact or sharing space.

Despite the medical facts, charity surveys show that many people still hold outdated fears. It is important to remember that saliva naturally breaks down the virus, making kissing completely safe.

What should I do if I have just been exposed to HIV?

If you think you have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, go to an A&E department or a sexual health clinic immediately. Doctors can give you emergency medicine called PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis). You must start taking it within 72 hours for it to work.

PEP is a short course of tablets that can stop the infection from taking hold. The sooner you start taking it, the better the chances of it working to keep you safe.

Who is most affected by HIV in the UK?

Anyone can get HIV, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, or ethnicity. In the UK today, there are over 111,000 people receiving HIV care. Around half of these individuals are gay and bisexual men, and the other half are heterosexual people.

Data shows that the virus impacts people from all racial backgrounds, but people of Black African heritage are disproportionately affected. Right now, experts estimate there are around 4,400 people living in the UK with undiagnosed HIV.

Worryingly, over 40 percent of new diagnoses happen late. Late diagnosis is more common in heterosexual men and women, as well as people over the age of 50. This means their immune system has already been weakened before they get help. This is why regular testing is so important for absolutely everyone.

How and where can I get tested for HIV?

You can get a fast, free, and completely confidential HIV test from any NHS sexual health clinic, your doctor, or charities like the Terrence Higgins Trust. Testing is the only possible way to know for sure if you have the virus.

There are two main ways to test:

1. In a clinic: You can visit a local sexual health clinic where a nurse will take a small blood sample or a swab of saliva from your mouth. Some clinics offer rapid tests where you get your result in just a few minutes.

2. At home: You can order a self testing kit in the post. This involves a simple finger prick to collect a drop of blood. Always ensure any home kit you buy has a CE mark so you know it is safe and reliable.

What are the treatments to manage and prevent HIV?

HIV is treated with daily tablets called antiretrovirals that stop the virus from multiplying. If you do not have HIV but are at a higher risk of catching it, you can take a daily pill called PrEP to shield and protect yourself.

For people living with HIV, taking daily antiretroviral tablets allows the immune system to repair itself. A huge medical breakthrough is that this treatment lowers the virus amount in the body (the viral load) so much that tests cannot even find it in the blood. In the UK, 98 percent of people on treatment have reached this safe stage. This is called having an "undetectable viral load." It usually takes between three to six months of daily treatment to reach this level.

When the virus is undetectable, the person cannot pass HIV on to a sexual partner. Medical experts call this U=U, which means Undetectable equals Untransmittable. This is one of the most positive messages someone living with HIV can hear.

Preventing HIV with PrEP

PrEP stands for Pre Exposure Prophylaxis. Medicines like Truvada (which contain emtricitabine and tenofovir) act like a shield. If the virus enters your body, the PrEP medicine blocks it from taking hold. You can safely and discreetly order PrEP treatments directly from UK Meds following an online consultation.

A-Z Guide to PrEP - Google Web Story

Customer Experiences: Ordering PrEP Online at UK Meds

Can you live a normal life with HIV?

Yes, absolutely. A person living with HIV who takes their daily medication can expect to live a completely normal and healthy lifespan. An HIV diagnosis does not mean you have to stop doing the things you love, including travelling and dating.

• Dating and Relationships: Thanks to the science of U=U, you can have a healthy sexual relationship without fear of passing the virus on, as long as your viral load remains undetectable. It is always best to be open and honest with your partner. For more information on dating with HIV read our comprehensive guide.

• Travel: You can travel abroad safely. Just remember to pack enough of your HIV medicine or PrEP to last your whole trip. While most countries welcome tourists living with HIV, a small number do have entry limits. It is a good idea to check your destination's rules before flying.

• Healthy Living: Just like anyone else, eating a balanced diet and doing regular exercise will keep your body strong. Doctors heavily suggest quitting smoking and cutting down on alcohol to protect your overall health.

• Mental Health Support: Finding out you have HIV can be scary at first, and unfortunately, unfair stigmas still exist in society. Your HIV clinic or charities like the National AIDS Trust can connect you with friendly counsellors and support groups to help you feel confident again.

A Guide to Dating with HIV - Google Web Story

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you catch HIV from oral sex?

The risk is extremely low. Saliva naturally breaks down the HIV virus. There is only a tiny risk if there are open cuts or sores in the mouth combined with infected bodily fluids.

Can you catch HIV from a mosquito bite?

No. HIV can only survive in human cells. Mosquitoes and other insects cannot carry or transmit the human immunodeficiency virus.

Is there a cure for HIV?

Currently, there is no permanent cure for HIV. However, the daily medical treatments available today are incredibly effective at keeping the virus completely hidden and harmless.

Final Thoughts From Our Clinical Team

'It is vital that we leave the old stigmas of the 1980s behind us. Today, an HIV diagnosis is a highly manageable health condition. With simple, regular testing and incredible medications like PrEP for prevention and antiretrovirals for treatment, people living with HIV lead long, happy, and fulfilling lives. Taking that first step to get a test puts you completely in control of your health and your future.'