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Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that damages the body’s immune system so it cannot fight off infections. HIV is most commonly transmitted (passed on) through vaginal or anal sex without using a condom.
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name used to describe a number of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen when your immune system has been severely damaged by the HIV virus. It is now often called late-stage or advanced HIV.While late-stage HIV cannot be transmitted from one person to another, the HIV virus can. With an early diagnosis and effective treatments, most people with HIV will not develop advanced HIV and will live a near-normal lifespan. In 2023, 107,949 people received HIV care in the UK.
Taking effective HIV treatment and having an undetectable viral load significantly reduces the risk of passing HIV on to other people. This is called undetectable = untransmissable (U=U). Research shows that 98% of people living with HIV in the UK and on treatment are virally suppressed, meaning they can’t pass the virus on to others.
While HIV is preventable and treatable, there is currently no cure. The earlier that someone with HIV gets a diagnosis, the more likely it is that further problems can be prevented.
About 5% of people living with HIV do not know they have the virus, so it is important to test regularly for HIV infection (at least once a year, or whenever you have a new sexual partner).
Some people will experience no signs or symptoms of HIV. However, most people may experience a flu-like illness a few weeks after infection. Symptoms can include:
After this, people with HIV usually show no symptoms for several years.
As the immune system becomes weaker, a person with HIV will be less able to fight infections, for example, pneumonia or tuberculosis. They may experience symptoms such as:
The immune system also helps protect the body from cancer, so people with HIV are more likely to develop certain types of cancers.
The earlier someone with HIV gets a diagnosis, the more likely it is that these problems can be prevented. If you think you are at risk of HIV, you should take a test as soon as possible.
HIV lives in the blood, semen (including pre-come), anal mucus and vaginal fluids. HIV is transmitted when one of these fluids from someone with HIV enters someone else’s blood. The most common way for HIV to be transmitted from one person to another is through having unprotected vaginal or anal sex. This is because these are the types of sex which are most likely to cause tearing of the skin, which gives access to the bloodstream.
HIV can be transmitted through:
Bodily fluids such as urine, sweat or saliva do not contain enough of the virus to infect another person. You cannot get HIV from shaking hands, kissing or hugging, using other people’s cutlery or cups, sharing towels, toilet seats, or going to swimming pools.
Condoms and lube are very effective at preventing HIV infection. Condoms prevent the transmission of bodily fluids from one person to another, while lube reduces the chances of tearing the skin during sex. Make sure you use water-based lube with condoms as oil-based lube can damage latex condoms.
PrEP is a pill you can take before sex that offers near complete protection from HIV. It is a very effective tool for people at risk of HIV, especially those who may find it difficult to use condoms every time. PrEP is now available on the NHS and from many sexual health clinics.
If you have been exposed to HIV in the last three days, then a short course of anti-HIV medication, called PEP, can prevent you contracting the infection. If you think you may have been exposed to HIV in the last three days, you should get in touch with your local clinic. Alternatively, you can get PEP from A&E.
HIV can’t be tested for until at least four weeks after exposure to the virus, with more accurate results if the test is done six weeks after exposure to the virus. The test does not detect the virus itself but the antibodies that your body has developed to fight it. If you test within four weeks after unprotected sex, you may get a false negative so it’s best to wait that long before testing.
Testing for HIV involves taking a small sample of blood for analysis. The test is either sent away to a laboratory and results come back in a few days, or same-day tests can give an instant result. If you are getting a test in clinic, this is usually from a nurse who will take a blood sample with a needle.
Depending on where you live, you might be able to order a free STI home test kit for HIV. In the testing kit you’ll get a lancet (small needle to prick your finger with) and a tube to collect the blood sample in. Once complete, you send the test back in the post.
Freetesting.hiv provide free HIV and syphilis kits in certain areas.
It is also possible to buy other HIV self-testing kits online but it is important that you look for a CE quality assurance mark as poor quality tests are available and may not give you an accurate result.
In some areas, trained professionals also go to community locations to test for HIV where you can get the results within less than 30 minutes. This is known as Point of Care Testing or rapid HIV testing. To complete the test, a sample of saliva from your mouth or a small spot of blood from your finger is taken. This sample does not need to be sent to a laboratory and the result is available within a few minutes. You may have to wait longer between unprotected sex and testing when using a Point of Care Test as some have a window period of 12 weeks.
If your HIV test comes back as ‘reactive’, your health practitioner may need to do a confirmation test first (if you tested via a postal test or a rapid HIV test).
If your test is confirmed positive, your health practitioner will be able to support you to access follow-up care, support and treatment, to ensure you live a full and healthy life. They can also offer you support on telling your partners and helping them access HIV testing, PEP and follow up support.
There is currently no cure for HIV, but there are treatments that enable people to live a long and healthy life. Most treatments for HIV involve taking anti-viral medications.
Taking effective HIV medication so that the virus becomes undetectable in your body also means that you cannot pass on the virus to sexual partners.
What will happen if I don’t get treated?
Without effective HIV treatment, the virus can attack and weaken your immune system. The long-term impact of this is that you’re likely to become vulnerable to illnesses (for example, heart attack, stroke and some cancers) and infections that you would otherwise have been able to fight off.
Treatment protects you. A person with HIV who is taking treatment and has an undetectable viral load (U=U) cannot pass on HIV to other people and can expect to live a normal lifespan.
If you are diagnosed with HIV, your local sexual health service or GP can help you manage your health and access services, information, advice and support.
There are also lots of organisations who can provide support, such as:
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