02/12/2025
🦠AIDS AWARENESS MONTH🦠
HIV (human immunodeficientcy virus) is a virus 🦠 that weakens your immune system and can increase your risk of serious illness. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) can develop in people who have untreated HIV and can be very serious. AIDS is a very serious condition that damages your immune system and can cause complications like tuberculosis, pneumonia 🫁 or cancer😷
The HIV virus has no cure but it can be managed and most people getting treatment for HIV can live a normal life and won’t go on to develop AIDS.
HIV can be spread by :
- vaginal, a**l or oral s*x without using a condom
- sharing needles, syringes or other equipment for injecting drugs💉
- It can be spread to your baby if you are pregnant while having a detectable viral load of HIV in your blood🤰
If you think you have been exposed to the HIV virus in the last 72 hours you should go to your nearest A&E 🏥or s*xual health clinic to get emergency medicine that may stop you getting infected. 💊
Symptoms of HIV infection often start 2-6 weeks after HIV infection and present as flu like symptoms 😷🤒but it is not always noticed in early stages and people can go years without knowing they have it.
TESTING FOR HIV
Can use either saliva or blood test🩸 at a clinic 🧫
It is important to get tested if you suspect you may have HIV so you can access treatment to prevent it developing into AIDS.
If you get diagnosed with HIV it is important to tell any recent s*xual partners who may have been exposed so that they can be tested too.
