Find the facts on HIV, how it’s passed on, how it’s treated, your rights, and advice on telling others.
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
A virus is a very small microbe that infects a host, such as a human, by getting into its cells and making copies of itself. Immunodeficiency is when our immune system, the system in our body which fights off illnesses, stops working properly, or becomes deficient.
CD4 cells help maintain the body’s immune system. But HIV uses these cells to make copies of itself, damaging them and the body’s ability to recover from other illnesses in the process.
HIV is not the same thing as AIDS.
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a group of illnesses you get when your immune system hasn’t been working properly for a long time.
Without medication, people living with HIV can eventually develop AIDS. The virus keeps multiplying and taking over healthy cells, leaving people unable to protect themselves from other serious illnesses.
But it’s not like it used to be, before treatment was available. By taking medication regularly, someone living with HIV can stay well, live a normal life and never get an AIDS-related illness. People living with HIV now have the same life expectancy as those who don’t live with the virus.
Passing on HIV
HIV is a blood-borne virus. This means it can only be passed on through bodily fluids: for example, during sex, by sharing needles, through infected blood transfusions, between mothers and babies during childbirth or through breast milk.
You cannot get HIV from kissing, cuddling, or sharing drinks, plates or toilet seats.
And if someone’s taking medication and has a low or ‘undetectable’ level of virus in their body, they cannot pass HIV on through sex. This is called U=U, Undetectable = Untransmittable, a phrase widely used to raise awareness of the true facts on transmission.
Medication
The introduction of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in 1996 changed everything when it came to treating HIV. This medication, if taken every day, stops HIV being able to replicate. The HIV lies dormant and harmless in the body instead. This means that HIV is no longer a life sentence. But taking daily medication can still be a burden.
Find out more about HIV medication, how it works, and tips on how to take it with our new animations and resources.
Can we cure HIV?
The short answer is no, there is no cure for HIV. But researchers are trying to find one. A handful of people have been cured, but they all had a certain kind of cancer and underwent a stem-cell transplant. This treatment is very dangerous and wouldn’t be recommended to healthy people living with HIV. Watch this video on the latest research into a cure for HIV.
You can also read more about progress on the HIV cure in our information sheet.
Going to clinic
If you’re living with HIV, you’ll need to attend clinic appointments every three to six months to check your blood and see how your medication is working.
You’ll attend a different clinic depending on your age. Chiva can also help support you with moving from peadiatric to adult care.
My rights
It’s good to be aware of the various laws around HIV and the rights you may have in different situations.
Those living with HIV are protected against discrimination by the Equality Act. Your confidentiality is also protected, meaning in most circumstances you don’t need to tell anyone you have HIV unless you want to.
Talking about HIV
It can be difficult to talk about HIV with those in your life. Because of ongoing stigma, many people still have outdated ideas around HIV. You may worry about how someone may react when you tell them. It might even be a difficult subject to bring up with family members who already know about your HIV.
Feeling isolated and unable to talk about HIV is a problem affecting many young people we work with.
Dictionary
The full list of terminology explained, including what not to say when talking about HIV.
