HIV treatment is free to everyone in the UK who needs it.

Despite international promises to make HIV treatment universally available to everyone in need by 2010, the UK government still denies treatment to refused asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups who have no way of paying for treatment whilst in the UK.

It’s very easy for me to catch HIV from someone who is infected.

In the UK, you will only become infected by someone living with HIV if you have s*x without a condom or share a needle or injecting equipment with them. HIV is not spread through day-to-day contact, touching, kissing or sharing utensils. In addition, being on HIV treatment makes people with HIV far less likely to pass it on.

All young people learn about HIV and how to protect themselves at school.

Comprehensive s*x and relationships education is not compulsory in schools, so many young people, including young gay men, are not being given the information they need to protect themselves.

There are no symptoms of HIV.

It’s true that some people don’t show any symptoms of HIV infection until after many years of living with the virus. But the majority of people with HIV (70-90%) do show some symptoms soon after infection. Symptoms usually develop about 10 days after infection. This is often called primary HIV infection or sero-conversion illness. Such symptoms disappear after two to three weeks and then a person can seem healthy for a number of years. The most common symptoms of primary HIV infection are fever, rash and severe sore throat all occurring together. This triad of symptoms is unusual and should indicate the need for an HIV test.

There is no benefit to getting tested early if you think you have HIV.

Knowing early if you have HIV has two vital benefits. First, you can be evaluated for treatment even before symptoms appear. Generally, the earlier you start treatment the more effective it will be. Treatment today means that most people can live long, healthy and active lives. Secondly, if you know you are infected, you can help to prevent passing the virus on to others by practicing safer s*x.

My test results won’t be kept confidential.

Most testing in the UK is done in s*xual health or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics. These clinics are legally bound to not reveal personal details and test results. GPs and private doctors also perform HIV tests, but the fact a person has had an HIV test, and the results, will appear on their medical records, but these should not be discussed with anyone else unless relevant to your treatment. If you are concerned about who else the results will be shared with, speak to your doctor about this.

 When someone is described as living with HIV, they have the HIV virus in their body. A person is considered to have developed AIDS when the immune system is so weak it can no longer fight off a range of diseases with which it would normally cope.

How is HIV passed on?

HIV can be passed on through infected blood, semen, v**ginal fluids or breast milk.

The most common ways HIV is passed on are:

• Sex without a condom with someone living with HIV
• Sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment
• From an HIV-positive mother (to her child) during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding (but with effective treatment and care the risk of transmission can be greatly reduced)

I don't know anyone with HIV... do I?

Today there are more people than ever before living with HIV in the UK, but less people report knowing someone with HIV.  People with HIV generally look healthy and many do not find it easy to tell other people, so you may not realise if someone you know if HIV positive. 

STORY 

“I have been diagnosed for 15 years. It destroyed my routine and ended my career, but it also forced me to find new ways forward. The treatment takes its toll. There is no cure. HIV owns my mornings. No days off. 365 days a year. Once I’ve taken 14 pills and they take their effect, then my day begins. It can be as long as 5 hours every morning to deal with medication and side-effects. People say it’s on par with diabetes but its not.” Steve, 43

"HIV initially impacted my life in a big way as I didn't understand what was going on, or what was going to happen to me.  Over time though, I have come to understand that I just need to get on with my life as normal - just like everyone else. I am on treatment now, one-pill a day. It's a question of looking after myself and getting on with things." Andy, 41

"It was very difficult at the start, eventually you start taking medication for life.  I've had a lot of side-effects but I have been living on ARVs for 17 years." Anne, 50

“I was diagnosed with HIV seven months ago. It has made me more conscious about my health and made me realise what is important. It isn’t all doom and gloom, life carries on as normal. HIV is no longer a death sentence. It is hard, very hard but once you have been diagnosed it’s good to know that you are being looked after by the doctors. No matter what – life goes on, I don’t suffer with HIV, I live with it” Gary, 33

"I'm not happy that, as things stand, I'll have to take pills for the rest of my life. Sometimes when my alarm goes off I resent living that part of my life to its daily beeping. But then I think about the alternatives. I'm fortunate enough to live in a country where treatment is available, free of charge, to those who need it. I'm grateful to have a supportive doctor who I can talk to, and family, friends and partner who look after me and who don't make me feel different. And I'm thankful that I caught HIV when I did, rather than ten or fifteen years earlier." Mike, 37

“I have been diagnosed for 15 years. It destroyed my routine and ended my career, but it also forced me to find new ways forward. The treatment takes its toll. There is no cure. HIV owns my mornings. No days off. 365 days a year. Once I’ve taken 14 pills and they take their effect, then my day begins. It can be as long as 5 hours every morning to deal with medication and side-effects. People say it’s on par with diabetes but its not.” Steve, 43

"HIV initially impacted my life in a big way as I didn't understand what was going on, or what was going to happen to me.  Over time though, I have come to understand that I just need to get on with my life as normal - just like everyone else. I am on treatment now, one-pill a day. It's a question of looking after myself and getting on with things." Andy, 41

"It was very difficult at the start, eventually you start taking medication for life.  I've had a lot of side-effects but I have been living on ARVs for 17 years." Anne, 50

“I was diagnosed with HIV seven months ago. It has made me more conscious about my health and made me realise what is important. It isn’t all doom and gloom, life carries on as normal. HIV is no longer a death sentence. It is hard, very hard but once you have been diagnosed it’s good to know that you are being looked after by the doctors. No matter what – life goes on, I don’t suffer with HIV, I live with it” Gary, 33

"I'm not happy that, as things stand, I'll have to take pills for the rest of my life. Sometimes when my alarm goes off I resent living that part of my life to its daily beeping. But then I think about the alternatives. I'm fortunate enough to live in a country where treatment is available, free of charge, to those who need it. I'm grateful to have a supportive doctor who I can talk to, and family, friends and partner who look after me and who don't make me feel different. And I'm thankful that I caught HIV when I did, rather than ten or fifteen years earlier." Mike, 37

TAKE CARE

gr8 initiative Rahul....

keep it up bro.......!!

thnx 4 sharing