HIV

• HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system. When left untreated, HIV can lead to life-threatening infections and cancers. The good news is that with treatment and care, a person with HIV can live a long and healthy life!
• HIV can be passed through blood, semen, vaginal fluid, rectal fluid and breast/chest milk that contains HIV.
• There are many ways to prevent getting or passing HIV. The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.

Read on for answers to common questions about HIV.

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, the body’s built-in defence against illness and infection. The immune system is essential to good health.

If left untreated, HIV makes the immune system very weak. When this happens the body becomes vulnerable to serious illness and infections. This is known as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

There is now effective treatment that allows people with HIV to live long and healthy lives.

HIV can be passed when a fluid that contains HIV gets into the body of someone without HIV.

Blood, semen, vaginal fluid, rectal fluid and breast/chest milk are body fluids that can contain HIV. HIV is mainly passed through sex and through sharing equipment used to inject drugs. However, we now know that a person living with HIV who is on effective treatment cannot pass HIV to a sex partner.

HIV can also be passed:

• to a child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding/chestfeeding
• through reusing unsterilized tattooing or body piercing equipment
• through reusing medical, dental or surgical equipment that was not sterilized properly (this is rare in Canada, but it may be a risk in other countries)
• through donated blood or tissue in countries where the blood supply is not tested adequately for HIV (Canada started testing donated blood and tissue for HIV in 1985; before this, it was possible for HIV to be passed through donated blood or tissue in Canada)

HIV is never passed by hugging, kissing or shaking hands, or through objects like toilet seats, doorknobs or dishes.

There is no vaccine for HIV so it’s important to do what you can to prevent getting HIV.

There are many ways to prevent HIV:

• Use condoms the right way each time you have sex.
• If you inject drugs, avoid sharing by using new equipment every time you inject drugs.
• Use PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a medication that an HIV-negative person can take on an ongoing basis.
• If you may have recently been exposed to HIV, use PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), a medication that HIV-negative individuals can take within 72 hours of potential exposure.
• If you have HIV, take effective HIV treatment to prevent passing HIV to your sex partner.
• If you have HIV, take effective HIV treatment throughout your pregnancy to prevent passing HIV to your baby.
• If you have HIV, formula feed your baby. However, with proper medical support, breastfeeding/chestfeeding may be an option for you if you wish to do so.
• If you receive medical, dental or surgical treatment outside Canada, ensure that the equipment either is new or has been properly sterilized.
• If you receive donated blood or tissue outside of Canada, confirm that it has been screened for common blood-borne infections.

Most people who have HIV do not have any symptoms for years, even though the virus is active and damaging their immune system. You can have HIV and not know it.

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.

Ask a health care provider for an HIV test. You may want to also get tested for other infections at the same time, like gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis.

There is no cure for HIV, but with proper treatment and care, people with HIV can live long and healthy lives.

HIV treatment has improved a lot. Treatment is highly effective with few, if any, side effects.

If you have HIV, speak to a healthcare provider about your treatment options. The earlier treatment is started, the better it is for your health.

HIV is the virus that attacks the immune system. When the immune system is severely weakened and the body becomes vulnerable to serious illness and infections, this is known as AIDS. It is the advanced stage of HIV infection. However, with proper treatment, many people with HIV can live long and healthy lives without ever developing AIDS.

Speak to a healthcare provider about HIV testing or to receive treatment and care for HIV.