HIV is spread from person to person. HIV is transmitted through body fluids—blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, or breast milk—of a person who has HIV. HIV can’t be transmitted through tears, saliva, or sweat.
Things that increase your risk of getting HIV include having sex with someone who has HIV without using a condom, having or having sex with someone who has a sexually transmitted infection, and sharing needles or syringes to inject drugs or other drug-injection equipment.
HIV is not spread by saliva, tears, or sweat. And you can’t get HIV from hugging, shaking hands, sharing toilets, sharing dishes, or closed-mouth or “social” kissing. You can’t get HIV from mosquitoes or ticks either.
When people get infected with HIV and do not receive treatment, they typically progress through three stages of disease. A person can transmit HIV to others during any of these stages. HIV treatment helps people at all stages of the disease, and treatment can slow or prevent progression from one stage to the next.
Acute HIV infection (AHI) is the earliest phase of HIV infection, occurring within 2 to 4 weeks after HIV infection. Not everyone with AHI feels sick. Signs to watch for are flu-like symptoms (e.g., fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue).
Protect yourself and your partner. Talk about testing, your status, condoms and new options like medicines that prevent and treat HIV.
Protect yourself and your partner. Talk about testing. Your status. And condoms. Plus new options like medicines that prevent and treat HIV.
Talk about testing, your status, condoms and new options like medicines that prevent and treat HIV.
Talk about testing, your status, condoms and medicines that prevent and treat HIV.
Talk about testing, your status, condoms and anti-HIV medicine.
Talk about ways to protect yourself against HIV.
Talking to your sex partner about HIV can be hard to do. But having honest talks with your sex partner may lower your risk for getting or transmitting HIV. These kinds of talks get easier the more you do it.
HIV Affects Us All…And We Can Do Something About It.
Spanish Translation: El VIH Nos Afecta a Todos…y Todos Podemos Hacer Algo Para Pararlo.
Latinos in the U.S. are at high risk of becoming infected with HIV. 1 in 5 people who are HIV positive do not know their status, and may unknowingly spread the virus therefore as Latinos we must talk about HIV with our family and friends and within our communities. HIV is one of the most preventable of all serious illnesses. We can change the way HIV affects Nuestra Comunidad (Our community).
Spanish translation: En los Estados Unidos, los Latinos corren un alto riesgo de infectarse con el virus del VIH. 1 de cada 5 personas con VIH no saben que lo tiene, y sin saber puede transmitirlo a otros por lo que es importante que como Latinos hablemos del VIH con nuestros familiares y amigos, y en nuestra comunidad. El VIH/SIDA es una de las enfermedades más fáciles de prevenir. Juntos podemos cambiar la manera en la cual el VIH/SIDA afecta a nuestra comunidad.
We can stop HIV if we talk about it. Tell your partner your status. Ask him about his. Make a plan that keeps you both healthy.
Don’t let silence get between us. Talking about HIV is how we stop it. Tell your partner your HIV status. Ask about his.
It’s good to know your partner’s HIV status, but it’s safest to use condoms every time. Talk about your options – then make a plan.
Science is giving us new ways to prevent HIV. But for now, condoms are the only thing protecting us. Talk about them, get them, use them.
We take our HIV meds to stay healthy and to keep our viral load down so we reduce the risk of infecting other guys. We can talk our way out of this.
Talking openly and frequently with your partner about sex can help you make decisions that may decrease your risk of transmitting HIV or getting a superinfection. Ask your partner when they were last tested for HIV and if they’re HIV positive and on treatment. It’s also important to know how many sexual partners they have and if they have any sexually transmitted infections or use needles or syringes to inject drugs.
When people get infected with HIV and do not receive treatment, they typically progress through three stages of disease. A person can transmit HIV to others during any of these stages. HIV treatment helps people at all stages of the disease, and treatment can slow or prevent progression from one stage to the next.
If you are HIV positive, starting antiretroviral therapy can improve your health and help you live longer. Being on effective treatment lowers the amount of HIV in your body and your chances of transmitting HIV to a sexual or drug-using partner who is HIV-negative.
If you have HIV, always use condoms correctly during sex to protect yourself and your partners from superinfection. For tips on talking to your partner about condoms, visit http://www.ashastd.org/std-sti/condoms/talking-with-a-partner-about-condoms.html.
If you have HIV and are taking antiretroviral therapy, visit your health care provider regularly and always take your medicines as prescribed to keep your viral load as low as possible, both for your own health and to prevent transmitting HIV to others.
If you’re Living with HIV and Not Being Safe YOU COULD BE LIVING WITH A LOT MORE. Protect yourself. Protect others.
Protect yourself. Protect others. Thanks to new medicines, you can live longer with HIV — and with a better quality of life — than ever before. The most important thing that you can do is make choices that keep you healthy and protect others.
Good Choices are:
Using condoms during every sexual activity
Taking your HIV medicine as your doctor tells you
Not sharing needles or works
Not sharing razors, toothbrushes, or other things that may have your blood on them
HIV infection weakens your body’s defense system. So getting another infection can harm your health.
Unsafe sex (that is, sex without a condom) puts you at risk for other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis B and C
Don’t put others at risk. HIV is spread through body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, anal fluids, and breast milk. Protect others by making sure they do not come into contact with your body fluids. Also, protect others by keeping yourself healthy. If you have HIV plus another STD or hepatitis, you are three to five times more likely to spread HIV than if you only have HIV.
Keeping yourself safe helps keep your partner(s) healthy, too.
Practice safer sex. Of course, not having sex is the best way to protect yourself from getting other STDs and spreading HIV. But if you are having sex, it is important to know that certain types of sexual activity — and the decision not to use a condom — greatly increase the chance of spreading HIV.
Insertive oral sex with a condom has the lowest risk of HIV transmission. Compared with that, the risk of transmitting HIV is 400 times higher for receptive vaginal sex without a condom with an HIV-infected partner and 2,000 times higher for receptive anal sex without a condom with an HIV-infected partner
Having unsafe sex with many partners also increases your chance of spreading HIV and getting other STDs.
Your decisions about sex and condom use strongly affect your risk of spreading HIV. That’s why it’s so important to always practice safe sex — and to consider carefully the types of sexual activity you are going to do.
Having hepatitis C and HIV at the same time greatly increases harm to your liver, and that may have long-term serious effects.
Having syphilis or gonorrhea at the same time as HIV can increase your HIV viral load and also lower your CD4+ cell count. This can make it harder for your HIV medicine to work and can make you more likely to get sick. Both syphilis and gonorrhea are becoming resistant to most antibiotics. That means fewer drugs work against these two STDs, which makes them much harder to treat.
Even if you have an undetectable or low viral load, you can spread HIV.
If you have HIV, there is a risk of giving it to others through unsafe actions. HIV can live in your body fluids and throat tissue, even when your viral load is low. And, the higher your viral load, the greater the risk. Even people with viral loads lower than 3,500 can spread the disease to others.
Of course, not having sex is the best way to protect yourself from getting other STDs or spreading HIV. But if you are having sex, here are some ways to keep you and your partners safe.
Use condoms during every sexual activity (Includes anal, oral, and vaginal sex)
Make condom use a shared responsibility (Example, say “Let’s use a condom” instead of “Put on a condom”)
Keep condoms handy (and in more than one place) so you are ready “in the moment” (Examples: night stand, car, purse, wallet, and medicine cabinet)
If you use lubricants, make sure they are water-based (Oil-based lubricants can break down the latex in a condom)
Please do not share needles or works, or even razors and toothbrushes (Anything that may have blood on it can transmit HIV and some STDs)
Take your HIV medicine exactly as directed (every pill, every day). (If you don’t, the virus can be transmitted more easily, or become resistant)
Your health depends on regular, ongoing care. HIV infection lasts a lifetime. So controlling HIV means making a lifetime commitment to your health. That means taking your medicine every day, practicing safe sex, and having regular checkups with your partner in care—your healthcare provider. And this has been proven to work. In fact, large studies of Americans with HIV infection show that those who are seen by medical providers on a regular basis live longer than those who don’t.
Compared with those that miss their appointments, PLWH in regular care have:
Better success with their medicine
Fewer hospitalizations
Longer lives
When your HIV is more under control, your healthcare provider will work with you to keep it controlled. And having a trusted professional in your corner to advise you whenever questions or issues arise will help you stay strong, both mentally and physically.
HIV Treatment is a Team Effort - Your HIV healthcare providers want to work with you as a team. That means being as open and honest as possible.
Nobody’s perfect. Your healthcare provider will understand, and work with you to help you live a long and healthy life. And, don’t be afraid to ask any questions you may have. There are no silly questions: everything important to you is going to be important to your healthcare provider.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV. Each year, about 50,000 more people get HIV. Every new HIV infection comes from a person already living with HIV. As a person with HIV, it’s important to remember that your actions affect your own health and the health of others.
HIV is spread through body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, anal fluids, and breast milk. Protect others by making sure they do not come into contact with your body fluids. Also, protect others by keeping yourself healthy. If you have HIV plus another STD or hepatitis, you are three to five times more likely to spread HIV than if you only have HIV.
If you have HIV and you also have hepatitis C or a sexually transmitted disease (STD) such as syphilis and gonorrhea, your HIV can be more easily passed on to someone else. But having a second infection like hepatitis C or syphilis can also make staying healthy more difficult for people living with HIV.
Remember, getting an STD is dangerous to the health of anyone living with HIV. And now it is becoming even more dangerous, as syphilis and gonorrhea become resistant to most antibiotics. So please take care of yourself and your partners.
Every dose counts toward protecting your health
Today, HIV is something you can manage
With the medicines available to treat HIV, most people living with HIV are living longer, healthier lives.
HIV medicines protect your health - HIV medicines work to control HIV by reducing your viral load. You can help keep the virus controlled by taking your meds every day. Therefore, you will be able to live a longer and healthier life, without getting sick.
The only way to reduce the viral load and keep it controlled is if you take your medicine every day. If you don’t, your CD4 count can go down and your viral load may go up. Not taking your medicines as directed might also make the HIV resistant to the medicine you are taking, giving you less choice for treatment.
Remember, you need your HIV medicine to control your HIV. Please take it exactly the way your health care provider or pharmacist tells you to…every day.
Taking HIV medicine – every pill, every day - protects your health (and protects others, too)
Taking medicine each day can be difficult. But remind yourself that you are taking the medicine to protect your health! You have done other tough things in your life, and you can do this too.
If you connect the time you have to take your HIV medicines to something else you do at the same time every day, such as eating a meal or getting ready for bed, you can match your medication schedule to your life.
The HIV virus is waiting for you to take a break so it can multiply and make you sick. Taking medicine every day is the best way to protect your health for years to come. So please speak with your healthcare provider if you are considering stopping your medicine.
There is no shame in taking good care of yourself. You brush your teeth every day. Just like if you take a multivitamin every day, if you take HIV medicine, you can be proud that you are doing something good for your health.
Taking your HIV medicine daily is helping you get better and lead a longer, healthier life.
Take your medicine at the same time each day.
If you miss a dose, go ahead and take the medicine as soon as you can, then take the next dose at your usual scheduled time, unless your pharmacist or healthcare provider has told you something different. (For example, some medicines should only be taken at night to reduce the chance of side effects).
Match your medicine schedule to your life: add taking your medicine to something you already do every day, like brushing your teeth.
If you take other medicines, such as medicine for high blood pressure, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you can take your HIV medicines at the same time.
Try a weekly pill tray with compartments for each day of the week. This can help you remember whether or not you took your pills that day.
Use a calendar to check off the days you have taken your medicine.
Wear a watch to keep track of the time. Set your watch alarm for the time you need to take your medicine.
If
you are online, there are free apps for your computer or smart phone
that can help remind you when it’s time to take your medicine.
Search for “pill reminder app” and you will find
many choices.
Keep a reminder note on a mirror, on your refrigerator, or anywhere else you will see it each day.
Ask a family member or friend to help you remember.
Any medicine can cause side effects. Most side effects from HIV medicine go away after a few days. Some are more serious and may be managed by changing your medicine plan.
So if you are having side effects that make you feel sick, don’t stop taking your medicine. Instead, ask your pharmacist, or call your healthcare provider. They can work with you to find a solution and help you stop or manage any side effects.
If you realize you have missed a dose, go ahead and take the medicine as soon as you can, then take the next dose at your usual scheduled time, unless your pharmacist or healthcare provider has told you something different. (For example, some medicines should only be taken at night to reduce the chance of side effects). If you find you miss a lot of doses, talk to your pharmacist or provider about ways to help you remember.
Sometimes, you may not be able to afford to buy your medicine. But programs and services are available to help people who have limited or no insurance. Please see the back page for more information.
Remember, taking your pills every day is what will protect your health because it will keep the HIV virus under control.
Don’t forget to ask for help from your healthcare provider, pharmacist, social worker, friends, and family. Together, you can find a successful way to make taking medicine a daily part of a long, healthy life.
It takes a lot of work to stay on your medicine. But you can do it!
Take your medicine: every dose, every day. It’s very important for you to take your HIV medicines exactly as directed. If you don’t, your CD4 count may go down and your viral load may go up. Not taking your medicines as directed can also make the HIV virus resistant, which means the medicines won’t help you anymore. Tell your doctor if your medicines are making you sick. He or she may be able to help you deal with side effects and feel better. Don’t just stop taking your medicines.
When you first begin treatment, you will want to make sure that your medicine is working to reduce your HIV infection. Your healthcare provider will arrange for a blood test to find out. He or she can also help you with any issues you may be having, such as side effects, or remembering to take your medicine.
Let’s be honest… When your healthcare provider asks: “How many times did you miss taking your pills?” he or she is not judging you. Instead, your provider wants to help keep you healthy. Together you can make a plan that works for you. Being truthful benefits your health.
One pill a day. For many of the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV that may be enough to prevent the development of AIDS and help them longer, healthier lives. When you’re living with HIV, medication is just one of the complications. But together we can make things easier.
Remember your appointments…
Use a calendar to mark off appointment days
If
you are online, there are free apps for your computer or smart phone
that can help remind you that you have a medical appointment.
SEARCH FOR “calendar reminder app”.
Keep your appointment card on a mirror, on your refrigerator, or anywhere else you will see it often.
Ask a family member or friend to help you remember.
Remember your questions. Use this booklet (or a notebook) to write down questions as you think of them. Feel free to ask all the questions on your list at your next appointment.
Remember to keep in touch…
Make sure your health care providers have your correct contact information (telephone number, address, e-mail) and let them know if any contact information changes.
If something comes up and you can’t keep a scheduled appointment, contact the clinic to let them know, and make a new appointment as soon as possible.
Remember this: Putting yourself into regular, ongoing care will help you live your best life.
We all need mentors. Over 23% of people recently diagnosed with HIV are not receiving the treatment that would help them live longer, healthier lives. Your story could make all the difference to them.
Who you talk to matters. Your friends, your partner…and your care provider. What counts is that your feel comfortable, feel informed, and feel connected.
Talking openly and frequently with your partner about sex can help you make decisions that may decrease your risk of getting HIV. Ask your partner when they were last tested for HIV and if they’re HIV positive and on treatment. It’s also important to know how many sexual partners they have and if they have any sexually transmitted infections or use needles or syringes to inject drugs.
If you are HIV-negative and have an HIV-positive partner, encourage your partner to take ART to stay healthy and reduce the chances of transmitting HIV to you.
If you may have been exposed to HIV, you can take medications (called post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP) to lower your chance of infection. To be effective, PEP must begin within 72 hours of exposure.
If your last HIV test result shows that you don’t have HIV, remember that it only means that you are HIV-negative until the next time you have a potential HIV exposure. Every time you have a potential HIV exposure, you could get HIV.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is when people who don’t have HIV take specific HIV medications daily to lower their chances of getting HIV. Because PrEP involves daily medication and frequent visits to a health care provider, it may not be right for everyone. Talk to your health care provider to find out if PrEP is the right strategy for you.
HIV is spread from person to person. HIV is transmitted through body fluids—blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, or breast milk—of a person who has HIV. HIV can’t be transmitted through tears, saliva, or sweat.
Things that increase your risk of getting HIV include having sex with someone who has HIV without using a condom, having or having sex with someone who has a sexually transmitted infection, and sharing needles or syringes to inject drugs or other drug-injection equipment.
HIV is not spread by saliva, tears, or sweat. And you can’t get HIV from hugging, shaking hands, sharing toilets, sharing dishes, or closed-mouth or “social” kissing. You can’t get HIV from mosquitoes or ticks either.
Acute HIV infection (AHI) is the earliest phase of HIV infection, occurring within 2 to 4 weeks after HIV infection. Not everyone with AHI feels sick. Signs to watch for are flu-like symptoms (e.g., fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue).
The only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested. Knowing your status is important because it helps you make healthy decisions to prevent getting or transmitting HIV.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. People with risk factors for HIV infection should get tested annually. Sexually active gay and bisexual men may benefit from getting tested every 3 to 6 months.
For women who plan to become pregnant, testing is very important. If a woman is infected with HIV, medical care and antiretroviral therapy given during pregnancy can lower the chance of transmitting HIV to her baby. All women should be tested for HIV during each pregnancy.
If you’ve had unprotected sex, you could be at risk for HIV. Get tested, and know your status. Whether you test negative or positive, knowing your status is an important step in taking care of yourself and the ones you love. For fast, free, and confidential HIV testing near you, text your zip code to “KNOWIT” (566948) or visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/takecharge/about/index.html.
If you’ve had unprotected sex, you could be at risk for HIV. Get tested, and know your status. Knowing your status is an important step in taking care of yourself and the ones you love. If you test negative, you can take steps to remain that way. If you test positive, you can be linked to treatment that will help you manage your health and reduce your risk of passing HIV to others. For fast, free, and confidential HIV testing near you, text your zip code to “KNOWIT” (566948) or visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/takecharge/about/index.html.
Knowing your status is a critical step in managing your health. Get tested for HIV. Your dreams are worth it. For fast, free, and confidential HIV testing near you, text your zip code to “KNOWIT” (566948) or visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/takecharge/about/index.html.
Of all women living with HIV in the United States, 66% are African American. Get tested for HIV. Together, we can end this epidemic one step at a time. For fast, free, and confidential HIV testing near you, text your zip code to “KNOWIT” (566948) or visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/takecharge/about/index.html.
66% of women living with HIV in the U.S. are African American. Get tested for HIV. Together, we can end this epidemic one sister at a time. For fast, free, and confidential HIV testing near you, text your zip code to “KNOWIT” (566948) or visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/takecharge/about/index.html.
Unprotected sex can put you at risk for HIV. Take Charge. Take the Test. No matter the result, knowing your status empowers you to take control of your health. For fast, free, and confidential HIV testing near you, text your zip code to “KNOWIT” (566948) or visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/takecharge/about/index.html.
African American women are heavily impacted by HIV. If you have had unprotected sex, you could be at risk. 87% of black women living with HIV contracted the disease by having unprotected sex with a man. Take Charge. Take the Test. For fast, free, and confidential HIV testing near you, text your zip code to “KNOWIT” (566948) or visit http://hivtest.cdc.gov/takecharge/about/index.html.
Currently there are only two home HIV tests: the OraQuick In-home HIV test and the Home Access HIV-1 Test System. If you buy your home test online, make sure it is FDA-approved.
The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test provides rapid results in the home. The testing procedure involves swabbing your mouth for an oral fluid sample and using a kit to test it. Results are available in 20 minutes. If you test positive, you will need a follow-up test. The manufacturer provides confidential counseling and referral to follow-up testing sites. Because the level of antibody in oral fluid is lower than it is in blood, oral fluid tests find infection later after exposure than do blood tests. Up to 1 in 12 people may test false-negative with these tests.
The Home HIV Access HIV-1 Test System is a home collection kit, which involves pricking your finger to collect a blood sample, sending the sample to a licensed laboratory, then calling in for results a few days later. If the test is positive, a follow-up test is performed right away. This test is anonymous. The manufacturer provides confidential counseling and referral to treatment. The tests conducted on the sample collected at home find infection later than most lab-based tests offered by providers.
Gay and bisexual men in some US cities now have the option to get tested with their partners, a strategy called Testing Together, through local HIV/AIDS organizations and health departments. Modeling suggests that anywhere from a third to two-thirds of new HIV infections may be acquired from main partners. The strategy allows gay couples to learn their HIV status together and develop an HIV prevention plan just for them. Gay men who think they may benefit from Testing Together can check with their local health departments to see if the program is offered in their area.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | jlh |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-30 |