HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. AIDS stands for (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) which is the final stage of an HIV infection. After entering our bodies, HIV fights the immune system eventually infecting more cells making us ill. But HIV does not always result in symptoms we recognize as being sick. Over time, HIV makes more of itself which weakens our immune system. If untreated, HIV allows other infections to take hold like cancer. AIDS is the stage where our immune system can no longer defend the body against the infections like it once did. Our bodies become weak and overwhelmed making it hard to fight infections. The only way to know if you have been exposed to HIV is to get tested regularly. For additional information give us a call at 814-315-3375 or send an email to admin@echiv.org.
Viruses in general cannot be seen by the naked eye. This means that HIV is not something you can recognize by looking at someone. HIV specifically does not transmit from person to person by air. HIV does exist in certain fluids of a person’s body, such as: blood, semen, anal and vaginal fluids, and breast milk. Below are two of the main ways HIV can spread:
Having Sex: There are different activities we experience during sex and some of them have higher exposure than others to HIV. Many times we are unaware of tiny tears or openings in our bodies where HIV can enter the bloodstream. [Example areas include: anus, rectum, penis, mouth, or vagina] HIV can also enter the body through an open sore like those experiences with herpes or syphilis. The risk of HIV exposure comes from the sexual activity and how much virus is in the body of your partner(s). Condoms, PrEP, and emergency PEP can reduce the risk of HIV infection. It's important to know that persons living with HIV that stay in treatment [taking their prescribed medicine(s)] can obtain an undetectable viral load and do not transmit HIV through sex.
Injecting Drugs: Sharing a syringe/needle, drug solution, or other infection equipment can expose your to HIV. When injecting drugs, always use a new syringe and never share injection equipment. This will help prevent the spread of HIV and other viruses like Hepatitis B and C. HIV Does NOT Spread By... human fluids and waste such as saliva/spit, sweat, tears, urine, or feces/poop. HIV also does NOT spread by hugging, coughing, shaking hands, sharing a toilet, drinking from a water fountain, or general kissing. Be aware of the health of the people in your lives and ask them if they have any conditions to be aware of, like mouth sores as these should be treated as soon as possible.
For additional information give us a call at 814-315-3375 or send an email to admin@echiv.org.
One absolute way to know your HIV status is to get tested. Because HIV affects our immune system, we may feel fine and not know we have acquired HIV. Getting tested regularly gives us peace of mind and assures we make our own health a priority. For additional information give us a call at 814-315-3375 or send an email to admin@echiv.org.
Are rapid HIV oral tests accurate?
Rapid oral HIV tests are created to detect antibodies made by the body's immune system in response to an HIV infection. This is like the standard blood antibody test. The key difference is the rapid oral tests, detect these antibodies in oral fluid, not a blood sample. Rapid oral HIV tests are quite accurate (similar to the standard blood antibody test) for persons with chronic, or longstanding, HIV infection. However, they are not as accurate for people with a new or recent HIV infection. Rapid oral HIV tests are not reliable during the "window period" (lasting several weeks to months); which is between the time a person is infected and the time the body has made enough antibodies for the test to detect. During this 'window period', someone who is infected might receive a false-negative result for antibodies. The 'window period' for rapid oral tests is longer than it is for some HIV blood tests. This means that for someone with an acute or new HIV infection, certain blood tests can detect HIV earlier than the oral rapid tests. And a false-positive result can occur as well where a person may have a positive rapid oral HIV test result but not actually be infected with HIV. This is why everyone with a rapid oral HIV test positive result must have a confirmatory blood test before a diagnosis of HIV infection can be made.
What is an 'inconclusive' HIV test result?
"Inconclusive" results can also mean "insufficient" or "indeterminate." Simply put "insufficient" means that there was a problem with the sample provided which prevented being tested. Where "indeterminate" means that the HIV test did not provide a clear result; not negative nor positive. An indeterminate HIV test result might indicate the early stages of HIV infection, a time during which an HIV test might show a result somewhere between negative and positive. The person with an indeterminate HIV test result may be truly HIV uninfected. This is because the indeterminate HIV test result was caused by a different viral infection, or just nonspecific antibodies in the blood. An inconclusive test result is followed by a repeat HIV test right away. It is recommended to get another HIV test at a local voluntary testing and counseling site (check out the Erie County HIV Task Force members for options). Having another HIV test with the same home-collection test kit may not be more accurate or "conclusive," and can get very expensive pretty quickly. For your new HIV test, be sure to explain your previous indeterminate result to the site staff; they should have a protocol for addressing this situation. If there is any chance you might have early HIV infection, your provider should combining a repeat antibody test with an HIV RNA test.
When can I be absolutely sure risky sex has cleared not being infected by HIV?
This isn't something with one correct answer. The best option would be to get tested 2-4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after a risky exposure. When a sensitive antigen/antibody HIV test is used, for those who are infected, most tests will result as positive at 1 month; almost all will test positive at 3 months; and the rest will test positive at 6 months. Should you have any symptoms that may be caused be acute HIV infection, get retested immediately, specifically with an HIV viral load as well. NOTE: If you have been taking PrEP for HIV, tell your provider when getting tested for HIV because PrEP may affect the ability of the HIV tests to detect early HIV infection. Remember, if you had 'risky sex,' you should consider starting PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) to prevent HIV infection by starting this as soon as possible after the possible exposure to HIV, and ideally within 72 hours of the exposure - go to an emergency room or urgent care clinic.
Would anyone know if they are HIV infected without testing?
Short answer: NO. This is because the only way to know if a person is infected with HIV is to get tested. Some people have a flulike illness around the time of HIV infection, but many do not. Even if flulike illness from HIV happens, it's very difficult to tell this apart from...the flu. Some people who have the symptoms of HIV infection may think they just have the flu. People with an HIV infection, including AIDS, do not feel/look sick at all; typically finding out they are HIV infected only when getting tested. Sometimes people get tested only when they suddenly become seriously ill with a life-threatening infection, and their doctors need to know whether the infection is a result of a weakened immune system caused by HIV.
HIV testing is critical in protecting our health. The best time to find out about an HIV infection is when our immune system is still relatively healthy. This allows us to start taking meds to control HIV before making us sick. Knowing we are HIV infected allows us to take steps avoiding infection with our sex partners or (for women) to prevent transmission to a fetus or infancy during pregnancy or childbirth. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend every adult in the U.S. be tested for HIV at least once.
There are generally four stages of HIV.
Exposure: An HIV infection takes time to show up in a test. Unsure if you've been exposed to HIV? Get tested. If you think an exposure has occurred in the past 36 hours, seek out a local emergency room and ask for PEP [Post-Exposure Prophylaxis] treatment to prevent contracting HIV. You can also contact us at 814-315-3375 for information and help.
Recent or “Acute” Infection: Persons living with HIV that are not aware of their status or viral load could have alot of virus in their bodies, easily passing it on to others. After exposure, our bodies host the virus while it multiplies may times. Some of us develop flu like symptoms, such as fever, swollen glands, aches, and pains. If you have these symptoms or possibly been exposed to HIV, visit a local testing provider as soon as possible; asking for an acute HIV infection test.
Chronic Infection: Lots of people living with HIV may have very few symptoms for years after exposure. They look healthy, feel fine, and live average lives. But not taking medicines to treat HIV will allow the virus to damage the body over time while passing HIV onto others. Knowing your status by being tested regularly puts your health first and makes health living a priority.
AIDS: Over time, HIV destroys CD4 cells [or T cells] which are important for our bodies to fight infections. When HIV damages alot of CD4 cells, the body's immune system cannot fight back against rare cancers and infections. This stage is referred to as AIDS [Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome] which is the hardest time for our bodies to stay healthy. AIDS can be fatal, meaning death is a likely outcome.
For additional information give us a call at 814-315-3375 or send an email to admin@echiv.org.
Currently, the world does not have a cure for HIV. However, HIV can be treated with medicine to reduce a person's overall viral load and keep us relatively health. Plus, the medicines today protect the partners of persons living with HIV. This is also known as U = U, where an Undetectable viral load means HIV is Untransmittable. Medicines for HIV today can be easy to take with few side effects compared to previous decades. We recommend that everyone with HIV begin and stay in a treatment plan, even if you feel healthy. It is true that a few people appear to have been cured of HIV infection.
There are a handful of people whom have documented cases of no longer testing with HIV after various treatments/conditions. Two of them have undergone bone-marrow transplants for cancer that left them with immune systems resistant to the HIV virus. More recently, a study has shown that a woman who was infected with HIV in 1992 may be the first person cured of the virus without a bone-marrow transplant. Additionally, 63 people in that study controlled the infection without drugs; HIV was sequestered in the body in such a way that it could not reproduce. The findings suggest that these people may have achieved a "functional cure." It is important to remember that bone marrow transplant is incredible intensive, expensive, risky, and is neither recommended nor feasible to give to non-leukemia patients.
Stem-cell transplantation is not a solution for the 36 million people living with HIV (PLWH) worldwide. It is also important to remember that only 1 percent of PLWH can keep the virus in check without antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. While a widespread cure is not yet available, these studies have reinvigorated the research and advocacy communities to find new strategies for an HIV cure. While ARV drugs are very effective in preventing the HIV virus from actively reproducing, current HIV treatment is not able to eliminate the virus. Many different approaches are being investigated as possible avenues towards a cure, including vaccines to prevent or control the virus, medicines to change the immune system's response to HIV, medicines to "purge" the dormant HIV from the body, and genetic therapy, where a patient's white cells are altered to prevent the virus from attaching to cells. We don't know if these strategies will work or, if they are successful, when a cure would be available, but it is heartening that at least a few people have been cured and that scientific efforts to find a cure have intensified.
Q: I am living with HIV and considering having children. Should I take HIV medicines?
Yes, absolutely. For nearly everyone with HIV, starting antiretroviral therapy (also known as "ART") early and as soon as possible is the first step. If you are trying to get pregnant or plans to become pregnant soon, it is even more important to be on ART. Your HIV meds will give your body the ability to resist HIV-related infections. Plus consistently taking HIV meds every day and achieving an undetectable HIV viral load will also protect your partners from getting HIV. AND very importantly, taking ART every day will greatly lower your baby's risk of becoming infected by HIV. Pregnant persons with HIV should try to achieve an undetectable viral load before they become pregnant. If they choose not to take HIV medicines, the chance of the baby being born with HIV is 1 in 4. But with effective treatment and an undetectable viral load, the chance of a baby being born with HIV is only 0.4%, or less!
Q: As a pregnant person with HIV, which HIV medicines should I be taking?
First, it is incredibly important to see a provider who has experience treating pregnant persons with HIV. Most HIV medicines that are used for non-pregnant persons can also be used for pregnant persons, but some should be avoided or taken differently. When your HIV medicines are selected, this decision will be based on several items. This will include if your HIV virus has resistance to any of the medications, which ones you've taken in the past, what side effects you or your baby may experience during pregnancy and after birth, and how easy it will be for you to take the medicines every day.
Q: I am already taking HIV meds and want to get pregnant. Do I need to switch my meds?
First, if your HIV meds are working while providing you with an undetectable viral load, you shouldn't need to switch them while planning for a pregnancy. However, there are a few HIV meds your provider may want to avoid because of possible effects on the fetus. Discuss this with your provider before you become pregnant. The human body undergoes many changes during pregnancy. These changes can affect how the body reacts to HIV meds. During pregnancy, sometimes the body becomes more efficient at removing HIV medicines from the bloodstream. Depending on the meds taken, your provider may have to adjust the dosages to ensure that you and the baby are getting a sufficient amount.
Q: After the baby is born, will they have to take HIV medications?
When a pregnant person with HIV takes effective ART (HIV medications) during their pregnancy, the chances of the baby getting HIV are extremely low. To reduce the risk even more, it is recommended that all infants who come from a birth parent with HIV take medications for a short time. If you took ART during your pregnancy and had an undetectable viral load, the baby is expected to receive liquid zidovudine (AZT, Retrovir®) for 4-6 weeks. If you didn't have an undetectable viral load during pregnancy, your baby may need medicine for a longer period of time.
Q: Why can't I breastfeed my baby?
Many parents look forward to breastfeeding their newborns. However there is the potential for HIV to be passed through breast milk. Breastfeeding your child runs the risk of your baby getting HIV. It is recommended that parents with HIV do not breastfeed their babies and that they use formula instead. If you would like more information on the possible risks and benefits of breastfeeding, consult with a pediatrician or obstetrician who is an expert in HIV infection, ideally before delivery.