Everyone has an immune system, which keeps us healthy
and fights germs. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that affects
our body.
H is for
Human
It refers to a germ which affects us
I is for
Immunodeficiency
It makes the immune system weak and not able to do its
job properly
V is for
Virus
It is a type of infection or germ
When HIV damages the immune system very badly, the
person develops AIDS, which stands for Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
It can take some time (sometimes years) for a person
with HIV to develop AIDS. Not all people with HIV have AIDS but you cannot have
AIDS unless you get HIV first.
Source: Australian
Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University.
how do you get HIV?
The HIV virus lives in some body fluids such as semen,
vaginal fluids, blood and breast milk. It does not live in sweat or tears.
HIV is passed from one person to another through
infected body fluids during sex or through infected blood. It can also be
passed from mothers to children during pregnancy, childbirth or breast feeding.
Find out more about how HIV is passed on .
understanding HIV/AIDS
There is a lot of stigma about HIV/AIDS. Some people
believe that HIV is a punishment from God, or that it is a western problem, or
a problem for people who are promiscuous.
However, HIV/AIDS affects people from every country
and every religion in the world.
If we do not talk about HIV/AIDS, understand how it is
passed on, or accept people living with HIV/AIDS, then we only increase the
risk to ourselves, our families and our communities.
People living with HIV/AIDS sometimes experience shame
and stigma, which can prevent them from getting treatment or finding out how to
protect others from the virus.
For these reasons, it is important for everyone to
understand how HIV/AIDS is passed on and it is also important not to judge or
discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS. Find out more about HIV/AIDS here.
is HIV/AIDS a problem in Australia?
Yes! Thousands of people in Australia have HIV/AIDS. Some of
these people are men who have sex with men , while others are heterosexual (men
who have sex with women, or women who have sex with men).
Some people with HIV/AIDS were born in a country where
HIV/AIDS is more common (a country of ‘high prevalence'), or became infected while
travelling to another country.
how do you know if you have
HIV/AIDS?
The only way to know is to have a HIV test.
People with HIV may look and feel healthy for many years after they are
infected.
more information
More about HIV/AIDS
How can women protect themselves?
How can men protect themselves?
Where can I get tested?
Other useful websites