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 defense 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 Immune Deficiency Syndrome).

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

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 re-using unsterilized tattooing or body piercing equipment.

HIV can no longer be passed through donated blood or tissue in Canada. Canada started testing donated blood and tissue for HIV in 1985.

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:

• Using condoms the right way each time someone has sex.
• Using new equipment every time someone injects drugs.
• Using PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), a medication that an HIV-negative person can take on an ongoing basis.
• Using PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis), a medication that an HIV-negative person can take within 72 hours after they might have been exposed to HIV.
• If you have HIV, take effective HIV treatment to prevent passing HIV to your sex partner.
• Being on effective HIV treatment throughout pregnancy.
• Formula feeding a baby. However, with proper medical support, breastfeeding/chestfeeding may be an option for some women who choose to do so.

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.
• Find HIV services in your area at https://whereto.catie.ca/