M.S. Shook Student Health Service
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HIV Information

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

  • Every 9½ minutes (on average), someone in the United States is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
  • In 2006, an estimated 56,300 people became infected with HIV.
  • More than 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV.
  • Of those 1 million people living with HIV, 1 out of 5 do not know they are infected. (People who have HIV but don't know it can unknowingly pass the virus to their partners.)
  • Despite new therapies, people with HIV still develop AIDS.
  • Over 1 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with AIDS.
  • More than 14,000 people with AIDS still die each year in the United States.

What is HIV?

  • HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
  • HIV is a virus that attacks your immune system. The immune system has "T-cells" that help protect your body from disease. A person with HIV does not have as many "T-cells" as a healthy person. HIV makes it hard for your body to fight off sickness.
  • A person with HIV is called HIV positive (HIV+).

How do you get HIV?

You can get HIV by:
  • Having sex with a person who is HIV + and not using a condom consistently and correctly.
  • Sharing needles or syringes ("drug works") with someone who has HIV.
  • Getting blood from a person who has HIV.
You can't get HIV by:
  • Being in the same room with someone who has HIV.
  • Sharing a knife or fork, sheets, toilet seats, or phones with someone who has HIV
  • Kissing a person with HIV.
  • Shaking hands with someone with HIV.
  • Getting bitten by a mosquito or other bug.

What are the signs and symptoms of HIV?

  • You cannot tell who has HIV just by looking at them. Most people do not show any outward signs when they first get HIV.
  • A person can spread HIV even if they do not look sick.
  • An HIV test is the only way to know for sure if you or someone else has HIV.

It may take a few weeks or months for the HIV to show up on a test. This is called the "window period". This means that a person who was just infected may not test positive, even though they have the virus. During the "window period" a person can pass the virus to others. Always protect yourself from HIV.

How can you prevent HIV?

  • Get tested and know your HIV status so that you do not spread the virus.
  • Before engaging in sexual activity with a partner, know their HIV status too.
  • Use latex condoms consistently and correctly each time you have sex.
  • Do not share needles.

How do you get tested for HIV?

There are 3 main types of tests for HIV:

  • Blood: a small amount of blood is taken.
  • Oral: a cotton swab is put in your mouth for about 2-5 minutes.
  • Urine: a small cup of urine is tested.

How can you get treated for HIV?

  • There is no cure for HIV.
  • There are medicines that you can take to help stop the virus from building up in your body, so that you can stay mostly healthy.

What should pregnant women know about HIV?

  • During pregnancy, a woman can pass HIV to the unborn fetus.
  • Medications can be taken to lower the risks of the woman passing HIV to the unborn fetus.
  • HIV can be passed to the baby during breastfeeding.

What can you do if you are HIV+?

  • See your doctor often.
  • Take your medicine. Medicines must be taken regularly, or it will get harder to treat the virus with those medicines.
  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
  • Don't smoke or use illegal drugs.
  • Get regular exercise.

To learn more:

Page content reviewed: 06/04/18 fwg