# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When most people talk about HIV today, it is almost perfunctory to say "it is no longer a death sentence." While that may be true, it certainly does come with its fair share of serious consequences. Just ask anyone living with HIV and they will gladly tell you about the woes and wariness that come with the virus. Although manageable, the costs of a diagnosis are nothing to make light of. If you are HIV-positive, you will learn to adjust. But if you are HIV-negative, this is why you still want to avoid HIV at all costs.

These are six HIV life sentences that come with a new diagnosis.

Financial burdens.

Regardless of your job or financial situation, HIV is one costly virus to contract. Although there are plenty of options for people who don't have or can't afford insurance, managing the virus can still take a toll on your pocket book. Even if you have the Rolls Royce of insurance plans, the costs of regular lab work and co-payments for medication can add up over time. Ask anyone living with HIV and they will tell you about the financial stress that comes with the virus. Trust that this is one expense that is worth avoiding.

Premature aging.

Even though the dramatic physical effects of HIV have significantly diminished since the advent of modern antiretroviral medications, the virus can still cause signs of premature aging. No amount of moisturizer in the world can prevent this inevitable symptom of the virus. If you don't want to worry about wrinkles or joint pain before you have to, you might want to take a closer look at safer sex practices.

Dating dilemmas.

Although disclosure usually gets easier with time, it is never fun to stress over the possibility of being rejected because of your HIV status. Even with prevention methods like TasP, PrEP and the time-tested condom, there will always be people who are too afraid to date a person living with the virus. In addition to the initial disclosure, an HIV-positive person also has to wonder if their ex-boyfriend or girlfriend will share their status if the relationship ends badly. And let's face it, what relationship doesn't?

Doctor visits.

In addition to the medical costs, the frequent doctor visits can be quite the time management crunch. Even after you have the disease under control, you will still need to visit your doctor every four months to make sure your medication is still working and that your organs are performing correctly.

Increased risk for other (serious) diseases.

It is true that a person diagnosed with HIV today can live as long as they would if they were HIV-negative, but only if they actively manage their health. People who are living with HIV are at a much higher risk for life threatening diseases and health complications such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure, just to name a few. When you are 35 or 40 years old, you should not have to worry over things like heart inflammation and bone density, but that is exactly what you will need to be aware of if you want to live a long and healthy life with HIV.

Chronic anxiety.

No matter how well adjusted you become, living with HIV will always come with a sense of worry and anxiety. Every time you get sick or something doesn't feel right, your mind can go to places that are a little darker and more serious than they were before. Being open about your struggles and creating a support system to help you through your fears helps tremendously, but chronic anxiety will always be something you manage alongside your disease.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When most people talk about HIV today, it is almost perfunctory to say "it is no longer a death sentence." While that may be true, it certainly does come with its fair share of serious consequences. Just ask anyone living with HIV and they will gladly tell you about the woes and wariness that come with the virus.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.avert.org/hiv-transmission-prevention/how-you-get-hiv

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You can only get HIV through the bodily fluids of an infected person (e.g. blood, semen, breast milk).

HIV can be transmitted during unprotected sex; through sharing injecting equipment; from mother-to-baby during pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding; and through contaminated blood transfusions.

HIV cannot survive outside the body. It cannot be spread through the air, from touching, toilet seats or shared cutlery.

Using condoms during sex, avoiding shared injecting equipment, and taking HIV treatment if you are a new or expectant mother will protect you and those around you from HIV.

Despite what you may have heard, there are only a few ways you can get HIV. Here, we explain the ways you can get it and how to protect yourself from HIV infection.

How can you get HIV?

HIV lives in the following bodily fluids of an infected person:

blood

semen and pre-seminal fluid ("pre-cum")

rectal fluids/anal mucous

vaginal fluids

breast milk.

To get infected, these bodily fluids need to get into your blood through a mucous membrane (for example the lining of the vagina, rectum, the opening of the penis, or the mouth), breaks in the skin (like cuts), or be injected directly into your bloodstream. 1

A person living with HIV can pass the virus to others whether they have symptoms or not. People with HIV are most infectious in the first few weeks after infection. 2

Here we describe the main ways you can get HIV.

Sex without a condom

Having unprotected sex (sex without a condom) with someone who has HIV, particularly unprotected vaginal sex and anal sex.

Sharing injecting equipment

Sharing needles, syringes or other equipment used to prepare and inject drugs with someone who has HIV.

Passed from mother-to-baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding

A mother infected with HIV can pass the virus to her baby via her blood during pregnancy and birth, and through her breast milk when breastfeeding.

Contaminated blood transfusions and organ/tissue transplants

Receiving blood transfusions, blood products, or organ/tissue transplants that are contaminated with HIV. This risk is extremely small because most countries test blood products for HIV first.

If adequate safety practices are not in place, healthcare workers can also be at risk of HIV from cuts made by a needle or sharp object (needlestick injury) with infected blood on it. However, the risk of 'occupational exposure', is very low in most countries.
If you think you have put yourself at risk of HIV, the only way to find out if you have HIV is to have an HIV test.
How can't you get HIV?

Some people wrongly believe that HIV can be spread by the air (even though HIV can't survive outside the body) and other ways such as by touching toilet seats or from mosquito bites.

See our page on HIV myths for more information.

How do I protect myself from HIV?

There are a number of ways you can protect yourself from HIV, including:

using a condom every time you have vaginal, anal or oral sex

avoiding sharing needles, syringes and other injecting equipment with anyone if you take drugs

taking HIV treatment if you are a new or expectant mother living with HIV, as this can dramatically reduce the risk of passing HIV to your baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding

asking your healthcare professional if the blood product you are receiving (blood transfusion, organ or tissue transplant) has been tested for HIV

taking precautions if you are a healthcare worker, such as wearing protection (like gloves and goggles), washing hands after contact with blood and other bodily fluids, and safely disposing of sharp equipment.

For more detailed information on how to prevent HIV infection visit the relevant page listed below:
Unprotected sex and HIV Sharing needles to inject drugs and HIV Pregnancy, childbirth & breastfeeding and HIV Working in healthcare and HIV Blood transfusions & organ/tissue transplants and HIV Photo credit: Copyright AVERT

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You can only get HIV through the bodily fluids of an infected person (e.g. blood, semen, breast milk). HIV can be transmitted during unprotected sex; through sharing injecting equipment; from mother-to-baby during pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding; and through contaminated blood transfusions. HIV cannot survive outside the body.

# data[].attributes.body
It can be passed on from using contaminated items that have the blood of already existing HIV members . Any body fluids from the people being passed on to someone . This can be trassimited through unprotected sex. It can be trassimited through breastfeeding if the parent has HIV.

# data[].attributes.body
A person is said to have AIDS when their immune system is too weak to fight off infection, and they develop certain defining symptoms and illnesses. This will eventuallylead to death.

# data[].attributes.body
AIDS is not a virus but a set of symptoms caused by the HIV virus. Such as any sickness like a cold flu stomach ache and more .

# data[].attributes.headline
How long does HIV take to destroy the immune system ?

# data[].attributes.subject
How long does HIV take to destroy the immune system ?

# data[].attributes.body
If HIV is left untreated, it may take up to 10 or 15 years for the immune system to be so severely damaged it can no longer defend itself at all. This is dependent on age,sex, and health background.

# data[].attributes.body
The virus destroys a type of white blood cell in the immune system called a T-helper cell, and makes copies of itself inside these cells.

# data[].attributes.body
HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, which is our body’s natural defence against illness. Without the immune system that body can not fight illness.

# data[].attributes.body
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

# data[].attributes.body
Human Immunodeficiency Virus