HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is an STI (sexually transmitted infection) that attacks the immune system and makes it harder to fight infections and disease. 

Many people with HIV will have no or few symptoms for up to a decade after they are first infected. There’s no cure for HIV, but with an early diagnosis and the right treatment, most people with the virus can live long and largely healthy lives.

Most people with HIV will have a short, flu-like illness about 2 to 6 weeks after infection. After this you may not get any symptoms for many years, although the virus will be causing damage to your immune system.

If left untreated HIV will become advanced HIV disease, previously known as AIDS. From this point, people with HIV can get life-threatening infections and illnesses that their body cannot fight off. But with early diagnosis and treatment most people with HIV will never reach this stage. That’s why it’s so important to test for HIV. 

HIV is passed on through the body fluids of an infected person. It can be found in semen, ‘pre-cum’, vaginal fluids, menstrual blood, breast milk, blood and the lining inside the anus (bottom).

There is not enough of the virus to infect anyone in saliva, sweat or pee. So, you cannot catch the virus by kissing, for example.

You are most likely to catch HIV by having anal or vaginal sex without a condom. It is only rarely passed on through oral sex.  

HIV can also be passed on in ways that do not involve sex. These include: 

  • coming into contact with infected blood, for example by sharing needles 
  • a mother passing HIV to her child during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding

Testing for HIV is free, fast and confidential. You can even do it from home. Tests can give a reliable result from 6 weeks after potential exposure to the virus (for example, the time you had unprotected sex).

You can test for HIV with a blood test, or sometimes a saliva swab. To get tested you can: 

If you have any reason to think you have been exposed to HIV, visit a clinic as soon as you can rather than testing at home, so we can give you the best support. If you were exposed less than 72 hours (3 days) ago, make sure you get PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) at the same time. This can stop you getting HIV if you start taking it quickly enough.

We know testing for HIV can be scary or stressful and there is sadly still stigma attached to the virus. We know that anyone can get HIV and we will never judge you. By getting tested you are taking charge of your health. If you do test positive, we will support you, every step of the way. 

If you are pregnant you will be offered an HIV test as part of your antenatal care. It’s rare to pass HIV to your baby, but it can happen. If you test positive your medical team will give you treatment to stop the virus being passed to your child. 

To find out more about what to expect from an HIV blood test, watch this video.

If you have unprotected sex, with more than one partner, it’s a good idea to test at least once a year. This is because HIV can cause no symptoms for many years. Starting treatment early will stop you getting seriously ill. 

Some people are advised to test every 3 months or so because they are statistically more at risk of catching HIV.  This includes: 

  • men who have unprotected sex with men 
  • women who have unprotected sex with men who have sex with men 
  • sex workers

There is no cure for HIV. But with early diagnosis, the right medical treatment and a healthy lifestyle, you should be able to avoid the most major complications of the disease. Live Life Better Derbyshire is a great place to start if you want to create some healthy habits. 

Modern HIV treatments are so effective that many people living with HIV have such low levels of the virus they cannot pass it on. That’s because HIV medication has reduced the amount of the virus in their body to ‘undetectable’ levels. This is called undetectable=untransmittable (U=U).

Living with HIV can still be tough, and it can affect your mental health. If you test positive the specialist HIV teams in Derbyshire and Derby City will give you ongoing support and advice.

You can also get support and information from The Terrence Higgins Trust, which has a helpline and a live chat service. Sometimes, it can help to talk things through with someone who gets what you’re going through, even if you do not have any questions. 

HIV often has no symptoms for a long time, but starting treatment early saves lives. 

So it’s vital that you tell your current sexual partner or partners if you find out you have HIV. This is so they can get tested and start any treatment they might need as quickly as possible. You must also let your past partners know. 

Telling a partner or a past partner that you have tested positive for HIV can be tough and emotional. We can contact previous and current partners by phone for you, without giving your name. You can also call us on 0800 328 3383 for details of this service if you're being treated elsewhere. 

You can avoid HIV and other STIs by using a condom when you have sex. We offer a range of free condoms to Derbyshire and Derby City residents, which you can pick up in person or receive via our discreet postal service. Find out more about our free condom service. 

Here are some other ways to stay safe: 

  • Always use a fresh, sterile needle for any kind of injection, and never share needles.
  • Insist on a clean, sterile needle if you have a tattoo or piercing. 

You could also consider taking PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). PrEP is a tablet medicine that can be taken by people who do not have HIV but are at high risk of catching it. It will stop you getting HIV if you have sex without a condom. 

Find out more about PrEP and PEP.