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HIV
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MY
HIV
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MY
HIV
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TEST
HIV testing is recommended as part of routine health care. FREE, confidential, and fast HIV testing is available across the U.S. Most places also offer other STD testing.
PrEP
PrEP is for those who do not have HIV and want added protection. PrEP is available by prescription. A healthcare provider can help decide if PrEP is right for you.
TREAT
Treatment offers significant health AND preventative benefits for people living with HIV. The amount of virus in the body can be reduced to very low, even undetectable levels
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What is HIV and Should I be tested?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus.
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Unlike some other viruses, the human body cannot get rid of HIV. That means that once you have HIV, you have it for life. Only certain body fluids; blood, semen (cum), pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum), rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk from a person who has HIV can transmit HIV. These fluids must come in contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue or be directly injected into the bloodstream (from a needle or syringe) for transmission to occur. Mucous membranes are found inside the rectum, vagina, penis, and mouth.
Early HIV infection often times has no symptoms. The only way to know if you are infected with HIV is to be tested. Currently, there is no effective cure that exists for HIV. However, with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested at least once as a part of their routine health care. People with higher risk factors, such as more than one sex partner, other STDs, gay and bisexual men and individuals who inject drugs should be tested at least once a year.
How do I know if I am at risk to get HIV?
Knowing your risk can help you make important decisions to prevent exposure to HIV.
The CDC has developed the HIV Risk Reduction Tool to help you know risk and for better understanding of how different prevention methods like using condoms or taking PrEP, can reduce your risk. Overall, an American has a 1 in 99 chance of being diagnosed with HIV at some point in his or her lifetime. However, the lifetime risk is much greater among some populations. Your health behaviors also affect your risk. You can get or transmit HIV only through specific activities.
HIV is commonly transmitted through anal or vaginal sex without a condom or sharing injection and other drug injection equipment with a person infected with HIV. Substance use can increase the risk of exposure to HIV because alcohol and other drugs can affect your decision to use condoms during sex. To learn more about your HIV risk and ways to reduce these risks, visit: https://hivrisk.cdc.gov
If current diagnosis rates continue, the lifetime risk of getting HIV is:
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It’s not talked about enough
