HIV is a virus
that attacks a person’s immune system.
Most people get HIV through anal or vaginal sex
or by sharing needles and other drug injection equipment
with a person who has HIV.
HIV can also be passed by a pregnant woman
to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth,
or later through breastfeeding.
Without treatment, HIV can make a person
very sick
or even cause death.
The only way to know if you have HIV
is to get tested.
Knowing your status can help you
make healthy decisions.
To prevent getting HIV
take medicine called PrEP
if you are at high risk.
Always use condoms
or clean needles,
never share needles,
or choose not to have sex or inject drugs.
If you have HIV, get in care
and take HIV medicine as prescribed.
With the right medical care, you can live
a long, healthy life
and prevent transmission to others.
The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.
Everyone ages 13 to 64 should get tested for HIV at least once in their lifetime.
If you have certain risk factors,
you should get tested more often.
For example...
...if you’ve had more than one sex partner
or your sex partner has had more than one partner since your last HIV test,
you should get tested again.
If you continue to inject drugs and share needles or drug injection equipment,
you should get tested at least once a year.
If you’re a sexually active gay or bisexual man,
you should think about getting tested every 3 to 6 months.
Testing can be quick and easy.
Some tests take as little as 20 minutes,
and some don’t even involve a needle.
You can also buy a self-test at a drugstore or online.
To find a testing site near you,
visit gettested.cdc.gov.
If you are sexually active or inject drugs
there are more ways than ever to prevent HIV.
You can use condoms every time you have sex.
You can never share needles or other drug injection equipment.
You can take medicine called PrEP.
When taken as prescribed, PrEP is highly effective
in preventing HIV from sex and injection drug use.
You can get tested and treated for other STDs,
since having another STD can increase the chance of you getting HIV.
You can also choose sexual activities with
little to no risk for getting HIV,
such as oral sex.
But remember...
...oral sex can transmit other STDs,
like chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis.
If you inject drugs...
...you can lower your risk by only using clean needles,
or cleaning your used needles and drug injection equipment
with bleach and clean water.
If your sex partner has HIV...
...you should encourage them to take their HIV medicine
HIV medicine can prevent sexual transmission to others.
PrEP
or pre-exposure prophylaxis...
is medicine that can prevent HIV.
PrEP is for people who are HIV-negative
and at risk of getting HIV.
This includes people who have a sex partner with HIV,
people who don’t always use condoms,
or people who have been diagnosed with an STD
in the past 6 months.
PrEP is also for people who are HIV-negative
and share needles or other drug injection equipment
or have a drug injecting partner with HIV.
PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV
through sex or injection drug use.
But PrEP does not protect against
other sexually transmitted diseases...
...only condoms protect against STDs such as syphilis or gonorrhea.
Visit your health care provider
to see if PrEP is right for you.
If you decide to take PrEP...
...you’ll need to take it every day
or as prescribed by your health care provider.
There’s no cure for HIV...
...but it can be controlled with treatment,
and people with HIV can live long healthy lives.
If you’re diagnosed with HIV...
...get started on treatment right away.
If you take HIV medicine as prescribed,
the amount of HIV in your blood
or, your viral load
can become so low, that a test can’t detect it.
This is called being “undetectable.”
Getting and keeping an undetectable viral load can keep you healthy.
Also, it means you have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV
to a partner through sex.
If you are pregnant...
...having an undetectable viral load will greatly reduce the chance
of passing HIV to your baby.
It’s important to tell your partner that you have HIV.
You and your partner may want to consider additional prevention options
like condoms...
medicine to prevent getting HIV...
and making decisions that are right for both of you.
Finally, talk to others with HIV...
find a local support group,
and learn about services in your area,
to help you get in care...
stay in care...
and live well.