What is HIV?

One of the basic truths about HIV is that gender, age, race and economic status are irrelevant when it comes to vulnerability to HIV. Anyone can become infected. At present there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, but there are medications that are effective in keeping HIV-positive people living longer and healthier lives. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) attacks the body's immune system, in particular the white blood cells or CD4 cells which are the body's defence against disease. If a person's immune system is severely damaged, they will develop the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). This means they are vulnerable to infections and illnesses that their body would normally fight off. HIV can live in the body for years without causing obvious damage, although the virus is constantly replicating. Many people with HIV continue to look and feel well. A person infected with HIV is described as "HIV-positive", meaning that they test "positive" to a specific HIV blood test.

Why be tested for HIV?

Deciding whether or not to be tested is up to each person,and should be with informed consent. This means having enough information and counseling to make a decision about getting a test. If people find out they have HIV they can take steps to reduce its impact on their health and prevent harm to themselves and other people. Waiting until you get sick is not good for your health and may reduce treatment options. People who think they are at risk of getting the virus should be tested for HIV. To arrange a confidential HIV test in Melbourne contact the Melbourne Sexual Health Clinic on 03 9347 0244 or Toll Free 1800 032 017 or contact the Alfred Hospital in Prahran on 03 9076 3009.

The HIV Test

Having an HIV test tells you whether or not you are infected with HIV. The human body produces antibodies to fight the virus and the initial screening test for HIV looks for these antibodies, not the virus itself. The HIV antibody test is a simple blood test performed on a small sample of your blood. The sample can be taken by your doctor, or in a community clinic or health centre. The blood must be sent to a laboratory for testing and the law protects the confidentiality of your test.

Test results are available within seven days. If the test detects no HIV antibodies, the person is said to be HIV negative. However the body can take up to three months to produce antibodies after infection occurs, so a repeat test may be necessary, depending on how recently potential exposure took place. If the test does detect the antibodies, the person is said to be HIV positive.

In Victoria, people who request an HIV test must by law receive pre and post-test counselling. This can only be given by a doctor, or a person who has successfully completed an approved training course. Information and counselling should take place about what it means to get tested. A test result should only be given to people face-to-face during post-test counselling.

What is the cost of testing? From 1 November 2005, diagnostic testing for HIV became available on the Medical Benefits Schedule. This means that your doctor can order this test free of charge. Free anonymous testing is also available from the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre.

HIV Transmission

HIV is only spread through the following body fluids:

• Blood
• Semen
• Vaginal fluids
• Breast milk

The most common ways HIV is passed from one person to another are:

• Reusing and sharing needles
• Unprotected sex - sex without a condom
  
• Mother-to-child during pregnancy, during birth, or through breastfeeding

Some of the symptoms of HIV

In the period immediately after infection has taken place there aren't any specific symptoms. Within two to four weeks after exposure to HIV, a person might have flu-like symptoms such as fever, swollen glands, muscle aches, diarrhoea, fatigue or rash. In rare instances they may occur within a few days after the exposure has taken place. These symptoms usually go away after a week or two. Often, if they occur at all, they're so mild they're hardly noticeable, although for some people they are severe enough to warrant seeing a doctor. It's important to keep in mind these symptoms are almost identical to those of many other illnesses. That's why testing is so important. Very often people who have the symptoms are worrying unnecessarily.

Only by taking the HIV test can someone reliably know their HIV status. Everything else is just guessing and HIV is too important an issue to merely guess about.

Getting tested is recommended if any of the following apply to you :

You should be tested at least once a year if you are sexually active, particularly with two or more sexual partners in the last 12 months.

You had a possible exposure to HIV either through vaginal or anal intercourse without the use of a condom or if the condom breaks.

You have shared/reused needles or syringes to inject drugs (including steroids), or for body piercing, tattooing, or any other reason.

You are uncertain about your sexual partner's risk behaviors or your sexual partner has tested positive for HIV or sexually transmitted infections.

You are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant.

You have had certain illnesses including TB (tuberculosis), or an STI (sexually transmitted infection), such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis or herpes.

You have any reason to be uncertain about your HIV status. If you need to ask, you need to know!

If you and your partner have decided to have unprotected sexual activity it is important you are both tested and both disclose your HIV status to each other prior to commencing unprotected sex. It is important that you are both tested for sexually transmitted infections as well.

Reducing the Risk of HIV Transmission

To reduce the risk of HIV transmission:

Do not reuse or share injecting equipment, clean needles are available from needle & syringe programs.

Do not have unprotected sex: Use a condom every time you have sex, especially for anal and vaginal intercourse, which are the riskiest sexual activities.

Get tested if you are pregnant or considering pregnancy: HIV positive mothers can pass the virus to their babies while pregnant, during birth, or by breastfeeding. Advances in treatments have significantly reduced the risk of a baby getting HIV from its mother when precautions are taken.

If you are travelling overseas it is important to ensure you have a supply of condoms. Relax, have fun but play safe. Be particularly careful when visiting countries that have a high prevalance of HIV infection such as Papua New Guinea, Africa and South East Asia. 

Women and HIV

According to a UNAIDS report almost half of the adults living with HIV and AIDS today are women. Over the past two years, the number of women and girls infected with HIV has increased in every region of the world, with rates rising particularly rapidly in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls already make up almost 60% of adults living with HIV.

A stereotype exists that HIV/AIDS is a gay disease. HIV stereotypes can prevent women, and their healthcare providers, from seeing themselves at risk of HIV infection. HIV is not a gay or straight or a male or female disease. AIDS is a human disease.

Some women do not access care and treatment as readily as men. The reasons are multiple and complex. Women have families and life responsibilities that they often put before their own healthcare. They may be isolated geographically and culturally and may fear rejection by family or their community.

If HIV positive women receive adequate care and treatment in a timely manner, they appear to benefit from HIV therapy as much as men. However, there appear to be some differences in the types of side effects and how often they occur (some less, some more) for women and men.

Certain gynecological conditions are more common, more serious and/or more difficult to treat in HIV positive women than HIV negative women:

Get tested regularly

It is important to get tested for HIV on a regular basis. If you test HIV negative, take steps to stay that way. If you test HIV positive, seek on-going medical care. By taking advantage of good health care and treatment, you increase your chances of living a longer and healthier life.

Questions & Answers

More information on Frequently asked Questions can be found here.