HIV / AIDS
What is HIV?
HIV is a virus which attacks and weakens your immune system. The immune system works inside the body and fights off most infections. Once HIV hooks onto the immune system it stays there for good. People can have the virus for years but look and feel totally healthy. Others show the signs of the disease much more quickly.
What is AIDS?
AIDS is any disease which becomes life threatening because the HIV virus has weakened the immune system of the sufferer. This can include normally minor illnesses such as a cold or the flu.
What are the symptoms?
HIV acts by gradually destroying the immune system of the infected person. After about 5 to 10 years the immune system becomes so weak that it can't fight off infection anymore. Eventually the infected person begins to lose weight and becomes ill with diseases such as diarrhoea, flu, pneumonia, or skin cancer. This is the stage of the illness referred to as AIDS.
How do you catch it?
The HIV virus can't live for very long outside the body and doesn't like changes in temperature or light. It is usually passed on by the exchange of certain bodily fluids during unprotected sex. These bodily fluids are:
- Semen or vaginal fluids: by having unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex you are at risk of catching the HIV virus.
- Blood: sharing injecting equipment also puts you at risk.
- Breast Milk: HIV can be passed from infected mother to child during pregnancy, at birth and during breast feeding.
You will NOT catch HIV sitting on a toilet seat, french kissing or being in a swimming pool.
How can I protect myself?
Using a condom or a femidom is the best way to protect yourself from the HIV virus if you are going to have sex. There are now more hetero-sexuals in the UK carrying the virus than homosexuals. Also, in most cases there is no way of telling if a person has HIV.
Condoms are really easy to get hold of and come in a variety of sizes and colours to suit everyone. Furthermore, you can get them free from many GPs/family doctors and at all GUM, and Contraception and Sexual Health clinics in Fife. So there really is no excuse for not using one.