HIV & AIDS - Know the basics to safeguard yourself

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The virus infects and gradually destroys immune system cells, reducing the body's protection against infection and cancers. A person infected with HIV is infected for life - there's no cure.

Over time, as the immune system weakens, a person with HIV may develop rare infections or cancers. When these are particularly serious, the person is said to have acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

HIV can only be passed on if infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk get inside another person's body.

The two main ways in which a person can become infected are:

• Vaginal or anal sexual intercourse (without a condom) with an infected person.
• Using a needle or syringe that's already been used by someone who's infected.

An infected pregnant woman can also pass the virus to her unborn baby, before or during the birth, or through breastfeeding.

Other potential routes of transmission include:

• Giving and receiving first aid, although transmission will only occur if significant amounts of HIV-infected blood pass from one person to another.
• Contact with used needles and syringes, if infected blood is transferred.
• Giving and receiving oral sex, although there are very few proven instances of this, and usually transmission will only occur if a person has cuts or sores in their mouth.
• Seeing a dentist, doctor or nurse, although it's extremely rare for HIV to be passed from a healthcare professional to a patient, as all medical instruments are sterilised or used only once.
• In extremely rare cases, through biting or sports, if HIV-infected blood gets into a wound or cut.
• Kissing, although generally this won't pass on HIV as saliva doesn't contain a high enough concentration of HIV, and the only risk would be if both people had noticeably bleeding cuts and sores in their mouths.

The risk of transmission through any of the above is small, but it exists so care should always be taken.

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

There's no cure for HIV, but there are drugs called antiretrovirals that can help prevent someone infected with HIV from becoming ill. These drugs can significantly increase the life expectancy of someone with HIV, but the drugs must be taken every day for life, otherwise the treatment will stop being effective and the person affected may become ill.

Treatment consists of taking several drugs together, which is known as combination therapy. Typical combinations include two drugs from the NRTI group (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, also known as 'nukes') plus an NNRTI ('non-nuke') or a protease inhibitor.