HIV and AIDS

Safer Sex

The best way to stop HIV being passed on is to use condoms during vaginal or anal sex, if there is any possibility that either partner could have the virus. It can take only a single episode of unprotected sex (i.e. not using a condom) with an infected partner for HIV to be passed on. Condoms are the only form of contraception that will protect you from HIV.

However, HIV is not always passed on the first time, so it's never too late to start practising safer sex.

If you would like to know more about safer sex, visit the websites listed under the Links page.

How Do You Get HIV?

You can get HIV in four ways:

Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner (the most common).
Sharing needles or other contaminated injection or skin-piercing equipment.
Blood and blood products through, for example, infected transfusions and organ or tissue transplants.
Transmission from infected mother to child in the womb or at birth and breastfeeding.

HIV is not transmitted by casual physical contact, coughing, sneezing and kissing, by sharing toilet and washing facilities, by using eating utensils or consuming food and beverages handled by someone who has HIV; it is not spread by mosquitoes or other insect bites.

Blood transfusions and the use of other blood products are safe in the UK, and mother to baby transmission can be prevented by proper treatment and care.

About HIV and AIDS

Heterosexually acquired HIV infections in the UK have risen hugely over the last 15 years. In 1999, for the first time, the rate of heterosexually acquired HIV diagnoses overtook the rate of diagnoses in men who have sex with men. During 2005, there were 3,839 reports of heterosexually acquired HIV, and a total of 32,361 had been reported by the end of June 2006.

Many new diagnoses are in people who may have acquired HIV in other countries. However, the number of infections probably acquired from heterosexual sex within the UK has soared from 180 in 1998 to 521 in 2005.

HIV is one of the biggest social, economic and health challenges in the world. It is a global emergency claiming over 8,000 lives every day. In fact 5 people die of AIDS every minute.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This is the virus known to cause AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). If someone is HIV positive, it means they have been infected with the virus.

A person infected with HIV does not have AIDS until the virus seriously damages their immune system, making them vulnerable to a range of infections, some of which can lead to death.

HIV is transmitted through body fluids in particular blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk, in fact there are only four ways you can become HIV positive.

In 2005, over 3 million people acquired HIV, which means there are now over 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS. Despite best efforts from governments, non-profit organisations and healthcare practitioners around the world, HIV and AIDS is still having huge global impact.

In the UK, fewer people are now dying of AIDS but incidences of HIV in the UK are on the increase. With testing and proper treatment through anti-HIV drugs, many people in the UK are now able to halt or delay the damage caused by HIV.