Frequently asked questions:
How do people get HIV?
HIV is transmitted through body fluids such as blood, semen (cum), pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum), vaginal fluids and breast milk.
• Unprotected vaginal and anal sex are the most common ways the virus is transmitted. It’s also possible to contract HIV from oral sex (primarily through performing oral sex), although this is less common than with vaginal and anal sex.
• Injection drug use is also a risk for HIV if needles, syringes, and other equipment is shared with someone who is infected. Reusing “spoons” and “cookers” (such as bottle caps, spoons, or water used to dissolve or heat drugs) also carries a risk for transmitting HIV and other blood-borne infections.
• An HIV-positive pregnant woman can pass HIV to her fetus before or during labor and through breastfeeding. All pregnant women should be tested for HIV. In theUnited States, HIV-positive pregnant women who are in care and take medication (antiretroviral therapy) and do not breastfeed have a less than 2% chance of transmitting HIV to their fetus. Without treatment, the transmission rate is about 25%.
• Healthcare workers exposed to infected fluids, most often through needle sticks, are also at risk of HIV. Those workers may benefit by taking medication after exposure (post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP). PEP usually consists of two or three antiretroviral drugs that are effective against HIV. PEP works best within 72 hours after exposure. For more information, visit AIDS.gov. This treatment can also be given to individuals who may be exposed to HIV outside the workplace, usually through sexual assault, condom breakage, or sharing needles with someone who has HIV (non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis, or nPEP).
• Patients receiving blood transfusions or organ/tissue transplants can be at risk for contracting HIV. However, this risk is extremely rare in theUS, given the strict testing done with blood products and all donated organs/tissues
• Having another sexually transmitted infection (STI) increases the risk of contracting HIV. Talk with your health care provider to see if any STI testing is recommended for you.
HIV is not transmitted by day-to-day contact in social settings, schools or in the workplace, such as shaking someone’s hand or hugging them, kissing, using the same toilet, sheets, towels, or eating utensils, or by drinking from the same glass or playing sports.
What are the symptoms of HIV infection?
Flu-like symptoms may emerge for some people after infection, usually in a few weeks up to a month; however, not everyone will feel sick. Appearances alone cannot signal HIV—the only definitive way to be diagnosed is to take an HIV test.
How long does it take for HIV to show up in a blood test?
The HIV test is an antibody test that measures the body’s reaction to the HIV virus. It takes up to three months after infection for the antibody to become present. That’s why we call the period after exposure before an HIV-positive test the “window period”– when people can actually be infected but have a negative or normal antibody test.
Doctors recommend a repeat test six months after the first to make sure the “window period” was truly negative. Most sexually active people at risk for HIV have interpreted this as the need to get an HIV test every six months.
How often should I get tested if I’m sexually active?
The current HIV test detects the presence of HIV antibody. HIV antibody is your body’s response to the presence of HIV virus. In most persons it takes a few weeks to develop antibodies that are detectable by current tests. Ninety-five percent of people develop antibodies within three months after being infected. It is recommended that people take a second testing after six months, because 99% of those infected will develop antibodies within six months. A positive test is positive no matter when the test was. A negative test becomes more and more a true and accurate result the longer after the possible exposure.
Is an oral HIV test as effective as one that draws blood?
The oral HIV test uses the same substance, serum, as that used in the blood test. They are equally effective and both FDA- approved. MAPS Health Educators can explain the various types of tests done.
Do people with HIV have AIDS?
Having HIV does not mean you have AIDS. HIV can remain dormant in the body for several years before some unknown factors trigger the infections associated with AIDS. The median incubation period for adults can be as long as 10 years. During this period, people with HIV may look healthy and be unaware of their infection status.
Is there a vaccination against HIV infection?
Unfortunately, at this time there are no vaccines available for HIV/AIDS.
What are high risk sexual behaviors?
The following are high risk sexual behaviors:
Anal sex without condom (active or passive)
Oral-genital sex involving contact with semen or vaginal secretions
Oral-anal sex
Vaginal intercourse without condom
Blood contact of any kind including menstrual blood
Learn how to reduce your risk—feel free to call a MAPS Health Educator today>>
What are the treatments available?
The treatment will depend on one’s general health, results of all medical tests, other health issues, what someone is comfortable with and what his/her health provider recommends. A health care provider will explain treatment options, as there are numerous medications available today.
*Source: US Department of Health & Human Services, HIV Fact Sheet
Also, AIDS.gov provides one-stop access to U.S. Government HIV/AIDS information
