HIV

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How Do You Get It?

HIV is a virus that weakens your immune system.

Without treatment, it can lead to serious illness — but with treatment, people with HIV live long, healthy lives.

You can get HIV from:

• Anal or vaginal sex without a condom (if the other person has untreated HIV)
• Sharing needles or injecting equipment
• A mother passing it to her baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding (if untreated)

​You can’t get HIV from hugging, kissing, or sharing cups, toilets, or towels.

What Are The Signs?

Many people don’t notice symptoms.

Some people get a flu-like illness soon after infection — tiredness, sore throat, rash, fever, or muscle aches.
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Without treatment, HIV can go unnoticed for years and damage the immune system.

How Do I Test?

Testing is quick and easy — it’s a simple blood test or a finger-prick test that gives results in 10–20 minutes.
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It can take up to 6 weeks for HIV to show on a test, so test 6–12 weeks after a possible exposure.

What's the Treatment?

HIV is treated with daily tablets (and sometimes injections).

Once treatment starts, the virus becomes undetectable, meaning it can’t be passed on through sex.
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If you test positive, we’ll refer you to the specialist HIV team at James Cook University Hospital for care and support.

Should I Tell My Sexual Partners?

We understand this can be a difficult time. We’ll help you make sure your partners are offered testing — and we can do this anonymously if you prefer.

Once you’re on treatment and have been undetectable for six months, you can’t pass HIV on.

​If you need help, please get in touch.

Find out more about HIV on the NHS Website.