HIV is a virus that weakens the immune system, the body defence against infections. It spreads through blood, unprotected sex, shared needles and from mother to baby. Without treatment it can lead to AIDS, when serious infections such as TB take hold. With daily treatment, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives, and the virus is not passed on through sex when it is fully controlled.
Symptoms
A flu-like illness a few weeks after infection, or no symptoms at all
Often no symptoms for many years
Later: weight loss and long-lasting fever
Diarrhoea lasting more than a month
Repeated infections, including TB, thrush in the mouth and skin infections
Swollen glands in the neck, armpits or groin
Causes
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Unprotected sex with an infected person
Sharing needles or syringes, including for drug use
Unscreened blood transfusions and unsterile medical tools
From mother to baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding
Prevention
Get tested, especially before marriage and during pregnancy
Use condoms and be faithful to one tested partner
Never share needles, syringes or razors
Talk to a doctor
Get advice by video, voice or chat without leaving home.
Only accept tested blood and sterile medical tools
Pregnant women with HIV can protect their baby by taking treatment
Treatment
Antiretroviral medicines taken every day for life, prescribed by an HIV clinic
Treatment keeps the immune system strong and stops the virus from spreading
Regular blood tests to check that treatment is working
Testing and prevention for TB
Never stop or skip medicines without talking to your doctor
Do not start prescription medicines without a doctor
Common questions
Can HIV spread by eating together or shaking hands?
No. HIV does not spread through food, water, sharing plates, hugging, shaking hands, mosquito bites or using the same toilet.
Can a mother with HIV have a healthy baby?
Yes. If the mother takes HIV treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and the baby gets preventive medicine after birth, the chance of passing HIV to the baby becomes very small.
