Conditions
HIV / AIDS
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a global pandemic and the fourth biggest killer worldwide. HIV is an incurable sexually transmitted infection that can be passed during unprotected anal, vaginal and also oral sex, via blood, semen, vaginal fluids and even breast milk. It can also be transmitted by sharing dirty needles, which places intravenous drug users at risk. Although gay men who engage in unprotected sex are a high risk group, anyone who fails to practice safe sex risks infection. A blood test (usually taken 1-3 months after the risk of infection has been identified) can detect the presence of the virus, which attacks the body’s immune system and leaves those infected susceptible to life-threatening conditions (AIDS is the latter stages of HIV when the immune system has stopped working). If you contract HIV, then counselling, regular blood tests, and a daily cocktail of drugs, which work to slow the progress of the virus and effectively manage the condition, will unfortunately become a way of life.
To find out more about HIV & AIDS there are numerous support groups:
NHS Choices
BUPA
Patient.co.uk
The Terrence Higgins Trust
Comments and Questions
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
Again Im one of you that has the virus for a while 8 Years.. Im on Anti viruals have been since 1 dec 2007.. im scared that i will be on my own to as the physical is easy to handle.. its the mental that you cant help.. ive also suffered depression for 19 years and i try to fight both.. so relationships tend to go out the window..
hi ! im chantelle im very curious about this sti and im wondering how and when you spotted the ilness ?. thank you .
Hi I've been HIV positive for 23 years too !! and 13 of those I've been on combination treatment - i'm living a full active life, - i consider myself very lucky to live in a country where HIV can be managed. For me over the years - the fantastic support form GPs, GUM clinics and Hospital consultants including HIV charities like Terrance Higgins & NAM have helped make it possible - it is life changing - but there is a good life still to be had - if your worried get proper advice and get tested. I'd still say your better off protecting yourself in the first place - something I clearly failed to do.
Being diagosed with HIV is a rollercoaster ride. Its imporant to talk through the condition with your doctor and a counsellor. Its vital you like your HIV specialist and are comforable talking to them, don't be affraid to change if your unhappy. Be careful who you disclose you diagosis too as unfortunately there is alot of stigma out there. Somedays I feel sorry for myself others I feel thankful, being HIV positive has enabled me to view life in a different way and appreciate living in the UK and having access to the drugs which keep me healthy.
I am a 26 years and I have been living with hiv for 6 years I take onepill a day and I leave a normal life please people keep safe NEVER go without unless u are in a faithful relationship x
hi there. Ive been positive for approx 20 years, and so far, everything has gone swimmingly- I even have a child who is negative. My issue lays with relationships. I just feel that at 39 I am not the best prospect, but 39 with HIV I am no prospect at all.
Hi, my partner and i recently went for a hiv test after a drunken night with another person who came to us to tell us he has just found out he was hiv+. My partners came back as positive and mine as negative but i am within the window period since having regular sex with my partner before we actually found out, i am finding it really hard to cope at the moment even tho the hospital are reasurring me everything is going to be the same. I think i just need to find out the results of my 2nd test and then i can have a more clear head. Its the not knowing wheather i am or not!
I AM A HETROSEXUAL MALE LIVING WITH HIV. I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED FOR 3 YEARS AND RECENTLY STARTED MEDICATION. WE ARE ALL VERY LUCKY WE ARE LIVING NOW RATHER THAN 20 YEARS AGO. IT HAS BEEN A VERY TOUGH JOURNEY. I DIDN'T THINK EVER I WOULD REACH THE END..... GOOD LUCK
i am hiv positive diagonised when i got my first child to my husband of 15 years who turned out to be negative. Thankfully we are still happilly married and our son is well and helthy. i started taking medication 3 years ago and i am so glad all has turned out well. i am on one pill a day and it does not inhibit my life in any way. if anything being on the medication has given me a new energy and i feel healthy and confident in myself. for those who are not infected, please stay safe. condom is the word. it doesnt matter how long you have coted or you know them..if only i knew this. i dont regret mylife for everything has turned out well but there is a but...
Hi Annabella, how did you find out you were HIV poss? was it during your antinatal checks??
I had unprotected sex 4 years ago on my stag party and have been worried ever since. I have lots of symptoms that are linked to HIV and the health of my wife hasnt been great for a couple of years now, again with hiv symptoms. I have never told my wife of my moment of madness but i am soooooooo frightened i have hiv and passed it to my wife and daughter. I have had 2 Dr Thom hiv home syliva tests that both came back negative and i have also had numerous hiv home testing kits from the net that have also tested positive but how accurate are these tests, does anybody really know??? I even became a blood donor 3 years ago and i know they test for HIV. Are all these ways of testing yourself as accurate as a gum clinic test...Please someone help!
the only way of finding out is to get your self and wife tested as soon as possible and if you are positive theres counselling available and theres drugs to prolong your life do it for your family they deserve to know their status,its not easy but its worth it
Why dont you just go to the GUM clinic instead of getting tests online? least then you would know if you have HIV or not. Going to the GUM clinic is nothing to be ahsmaed of
Me and my wife are HIV+ and we have been together for 8 years we think one of us has had it for at least 9 years we are not sure, we are living our life with it, but the one thing we want is a baby every time we mention it to our clinic they dont really help, at the moment our counts are both around the 200 mark and dont seem to move that much, anyone who could tell us we can or we cant would be good then at least we know and stop thinking about it
hi shaun...i believe that you can have a family even when you have got hiv..i am hiv positive and had my baby 6 months ago and she is fine all her tests came back negative...so you can try to have a baby and just take the medication and ask your wife to find out which tablets can be stopped when she is pregnant coz when i was pregnant they had to change my medicaton and then go for the operation when giving birth then the chance of your baby being positive is 1%...we are in a modern world..am planning for a second child next year..all the best shaun .
Important Notice
The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.
If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here
