HIV

HIV is passed from one person to another through:

• Unprotected sex (vaginal or anal).
• Sharing needles and other drug paraphernalia.
• Sharing of sex toys.
• Vertical transmission from mother to unborn baby.

HIV is not an easy virus to catch. Only some bodily fluids have the potential to be infectious:

• Sexual fluids (semen and vaginal).
• Mucus from the vagina and anus.
• Blood.
• Breastmilk.

Acquiring HIV through oral sex is low risk but can happen:

• If you have cuts, sores, abrasions or any unhealed piercings in your mouth.
• Your partner ejaculates in your mouth.
• You have just flossed or brushed your teeth.
• You are giving oral sex to a woman who is on her period.

Seroconversion is the time when immune responses to HIV start to develop through the body. This usually occurs within the first two-four weeks after transmission. Up to 80 per cent of people will suffer symptoms which can last a few days or a few weeks.

The most common symptoms are:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Rash
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Swollen lymph glands
• Aching muscles and joints
   

Having only one or two symptoms is very unlikely to be HIV.

HIV is detected through a blood test which checks for HIV related antibodies and can be taken four weeks after any incident where you are worried there has been a risk of HIV transmission.

At this time we would still advise people to attend for a repeat HIV blood test to cover the 12-week window period, ensuring that the result is accurate.

The blood sample is sent to the laboratory for testing, where it can take up to a week for the results to be received into clinic.

For people who are worried, or have a high risk of HIV transmission, they can have a HIV point of care test, which is an instant test.

This test is taken by a healthcare professional who will obtain a blood sample by pricking a person’s finger. This test would be followed up with a full blood sample that would also be sent off to the laboratory for confirmation of HIV result.

What is PEP?

Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) 

This is a term for using HIV medication after potential exposure, to reduce the risk of HIV transmission.

PEP can be accessed from sexual health clinics during working hours and hospital accident and emergency departments (A&E) out of hours.

PrEP needs to be accessed as soon as possible after the exposure, as the longer the delay, the less chance that PEP will work.

The latest time that PEP can be accessed is 72 hours.

Late diagnosis causes half of all HIV-related deaths. These could be prevented with earlier testing.

More than 99 per cent of all HIV blood tests taken in sexual health are negative.

Early diagnosis is important because- 

By accessing modern HIV medication and expert care and advice, many of the complications associated with HIV can be avoided, as well reducing the risk of onward transmission of the virus.

HIV is treatable (but not curable) with a combination of medicines.

People diagnosed early will have a normal life expectancy.