HIV/AIDS

Quicklinks

• What is HIV?

• What is AIDS?

• How do I know if I have HIV?

• What can I do if I have HIV?

• Care and support

 

What is HIV?

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV is a small germ (called a virus).

HIV can get into your body if you:

• Have sex without condoms
  
  

• Share needles/syringes
  
  
• Get someone else’s blood into cuts
  
  

 

Having HIV can make it harder for your body to keep itself well.

You may get sickness that your body could normally fix. Unlike most other germs (viruses, bacteria, fungi) HIV stays in your body.

Immunodeficiency means that your immune system isn’t working properly.

Your immune system is what your body uses to stay well when it is working properly. It fights off germs (called viruses, bacteria or fungi) so they can’t make you sick.

What happens when HIV gets into your body?

At first not much happens and most people with HIV stay well for some years. Then slowly the HIV hurts the immune system so it can’t protect you from germs very well. Then people start to get sick in different ways. If you’ve had HIV for a long time without any medicines, it can start to make you feel sick.

 

 

 

You might:

• Feel tired with loss of energy
• Get sweats at night time
• Lose weight

 

 

These symptoms can be caused by lots of things. The only way to know if it is HIV is to have a test.

 

Some other HIV health problems that can happen

There are some health issues that happen more often when you have HIV. Some of these are:

• Skin problems, like itchy and dry skin and skin sores,
• Trouble with teeth and gums, and
• Difficulty sleeping.

 

 

It is a good idea for people with HIV to see their health worker or doctor as often as possible.

 

There are some other sicknesses that can cause more serious problems for people with HIV.

They include:

• Hepatitis - liver sickness, which can make HIV harder to treat.
• Diabetes - sugar sickness, can be made more likely by some of the medicines used for HIV.
• Tuberculosis or TB is most often a lung infection that stays in your body and can cause illness when HIV damages your immune system.
• Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) that can make it easier to get and pass on HIV.

 

What is AIDS?

 

 

When people have had HIV in their bodies for some years and their immune system is damaged, some will get unusual illnesses. They are said to have AIDS.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

• Acquired means you can get HIV from someone else who is already infected  (By sex without condoms, sharing needles/syringes or getting someone else’s blood into cuts).
• Immune Deficiency means your immune system isn’t working well to protect you from disease.
• Syndrome means you could get sick in different ways from different germs. Not everyone with AIDS is sick in the same way.

Some of the main sicknesses when you have AIDS: 

If your immune system gets damaged, your body can get some very serious germs and sickness. They can be:

• Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia (PCP) – a germ that hurts your lungs.
• Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) – a germ that damages your main organs.
• Tuberculosis – a  serious lung infection.
• Toxoplasmosis (Toxo) – an infection mostly of the brain, but it can also hurt other parts of the body.
• Cryptosporidiosis (Crypto) – which is bad diarrhoea (runs).
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV) – an infection usually in the eye.
• Candidiasis (Thrush) – A germ (fungal infection) that usually happens in the mouth, throat or vagina (women’s private parts).
• Kaposi ’s Sarcoma (KS) – are purplish coloured raised spots on the skin.

 

How is HIV passed on?

Both men and women can get HIV. HIV is passed on through blood, semen (cum), vaginal fluids, or breast milk from another person.

 

HIV can be passed on:

 

 

 

 

 

 

• By anal or vaginal sex without condoms (called unsafe or unprotected sex);
• By sharing needles and syringes;
• By sharing razors and other cutting, piercing or tattooing equipment;
• By getting HIV infected blood, semen (cum), vaginal fluids or breast milk on broken skin (cuts) or around your eyes or inside your nose and mouth;
• From mother to baby, either before the baby is born, during the birth; or
• Through breast feeding.

 

HIV is not passed on by:

• Kissing or hugging;

• Sharing cups or forks;
• Toilet seats or towels;
• Mosquitoes.

How can I make sure I don't get HIV or pass HIV on to others?

You can make sure you don't get HIV or don't pass it on by:

 

 

 

 

 

• Always using condoms for sex;
• Never sharing anything with blood in it like needles, syringes, razor blades or tattooing and piercing equipment;
• Never getting someone else's blood into a cut.

 

 If you have to clean up blood, wear gloves (or plastic bags if you don’t have any gloves)
          

- Cover up cuts. -

- Ceremonial practices, body piercing and tattooing must be done with clean knives, razor blades and needles. Anything with blood on it must not be shared. Having HIV doesn’t mean you can’t do Law (Men’s/Women’s Business), you just need to find out how to be safe. If you are worried about HIV and Law, you should talk to your health worker or Elders in your community. -

 

 

 

How do I know if I have HIV?

 

You may not know you have HIV if you have not become sick or had a blood test. Once  infected, it may be a few years before your immune system is damaged and causes health problems.

There is a simple blood test that can tell you if you have HIV. Ask your doctor, nurse or Aboriginal Health Worker about it. The test is called an HIV antibody test. HIV antibodies are signs of HIV found in your blood.

If you have recently been infected with HIV you might experience what is called  seroconversion illness, which can feel like having the flu. Not everyone gets this illness or knows that it is happening.

If you think you might have been infected with HIV and are experiencing seroconversion illness, you should talk to your doctor or health worker.

If your test result is negative, this may mean that you do not have HIV. If you have been sharing needles or having sex without a condom, then you will need to have another test three months later to be sure.

It’s your business
Getting tested for HIV is your own private business. Only your doctor, nurse or Aboriginal Health worker needs to know. They are not allowed to tell anyone else unless you say they can.

Before you get tested you should think carefully about who you want to tell. It can be good to tell someone you trust, so they can give you support, but you don't have to tell everyone.

 

When you have an HIV blood test:

• You have the right to yarn with a counsellor before and after the test;
• Your results are private business;
• Blood samples have codes not names on them;
• Only your doctor or health care worker can tell you your results.

 

Other illnesses
Having sex without condoms can also give you other STIs (sexually transmitted infections), which can be easily treated with medicine, but cause serious problems if you don't get treatment. If you have an STI, this can make it easier to get or pass on HIV. Sharing needles and syringes can also give you other BBV (blood borne viruses) like hepatitis B or C.

 

- If you have been sharing needles and syringes, it would be a good idea to get tested for other germs at the same time. -

- If you have been having sex without condoms, it would be a good idea to get tested for other STIs at the same time. -

 

What can I do if I have HIV?

 

 

If you have just found out that you are HIV positive, there are a few things you will need to do or think about.

• Getting support from family, friends or health services.
• Choosing a doctor or HIV specialist that is right for you.
• HIV medicines (treatments).

Having HIV is serious, but not the end of the world. There are some medicines (treatments) you can take to control HIV.

If you are HIV positive (you have HIV) it is important to keep checking your health to see how much HIV you have in your blood and how much it has hurt your immune system. Every three to six months, you should go to your doctor for two blood tests: the viral load test and the CD4 cell count. This is called health monitoring.

The viral load test shows how much HIV is in your blood. If the viral load is high, there is a greater chance you might get sick.

CD4 cells (sometimes called T4 cells) are an important part of your immune system. They protect you by finding germs and sick body cells and killing them. HIV attacks these CD4 cells, so they can't protect you from diseases anymore.

The CD4 cell count test shows how strong or weak your immune system is. If the CD4 cell count is low, you might be more likely to get sick. These tests help you and your doctor to know when you should start taking anti-viral treatments.

If your viral load is low and your CD4 count is high – You do not need to take treatments.

If your viral load is high or your CD4 count is low – Your doctor may suggest that you start taking medicines (treatments).

Anti-viral treatments are medicines that slow HIV down and keep your immune system strong. This is good, but these treatments also make some people feel unwell (called side effects), so it is better to not start taking them until you need them.

You will also need to monitor your health in other ways, like looking after your teeth, eyes, chest, bones, cholesterol and liver. Your doctor or health care worker will need to help you do this.

If you would like to read more about monitoring your health, there is a small book available from your AIDS Council called Taking Care of Yourself.

- HIV positive women who are pregnant should start taking anti-viral medicines early. This will help keep the baby safe from HIV. -

Taking medicines (treatments)

There are different kinds of HIV medicines, also called treatments.

The main ones are called anti-viral medicines (treatments). They do not get rid of HIV from your body, but they can slow it down and keep your immune system strong.

Most anti-viral medicines are tablets or capsules. Most people with HIV take more than one kind at a time. This is called combination therapy. It is important to take them exactly the way the doctor tells you or they may not work.

Your doctor will talk to you about which antiviral medicines might be best for you. All antiviral medicines have some side effects. This means they make some people feel unwell.
You may get headaches, feel tired, get dizzy, feel like vomiting or have diarrhoea (runs).
You may need to try a few different medicines to find ones that don't make you feel too bad. Everyone is different. Sometimes complementary therapies and eating the right food can help stop the side effects.

 

Taking a break from your medicines (treatments)

After a long time taking anti-viral medicines, some people with HIV want to take a break to stop the side effects. This is no longer recommended by HIV specialist doctors; because recent studies have shown that it can cause you to become resistant to the medicines you are taking. This is also called drug-resistance, which means your anti-viral medicines won't work anymore, and you are more likely to become sick earlier.

 

- If you do want, or need to stop taking your medicines, it is very important to talk to your doctor first. -

 

Side effects of the medicines used to treat HIV

The medicines used to treat HIV can slow down the damage that HIV does to your body - but like all medicines they have side effects. The main ones are:

• Diarrhoea - the runs
  
• Lipodystrophy and Lipoatrophy - these change what happens to fat on your body
• High cholesterol - which can increase the chances of a heart attack
• Osteopenia - problems with your bones

These side effects are more common if you’ve been on medicines for a long time.

It is important to tell your doctor or health worker if you have these side effects so they can try to stop them becoming too serious.

Note: You can find out more about ‘Managing Side-effects’ by asking your AIDS Council, PLWH/A group, Positive Living Centre or Aboriginal Health Worker The Need Help?  section of this website will tell you how to find them.

Complementary therapies

There are other kinds of therapy that can help to keep you healthy and feeling well, but they do not stop HIV. They are known as complementary therapies and they can help with HIV treatment side effects and feeling sad.

Some examples of complementary therapies are:

• Traditional bush medicines

• Herbal, naturopathic and homeopathic medicines
• Nutritionist (advice about food)
• Massage and reflexology (foot massage)
• Acupuncture (needles)
• Aromatherapy (scented oils, often used with massage)
• Meditation (deep resting)

 

Note: You can find out more about complementary therapies by asking your AIDS Council, PLWH/A group, Positive Living Centre or Aboriginal Health Worker. The Need Help?  section of this website will tell you how to find them.

 

- Healthy tucker, rest and exercise, like playing sport or walking, will help to keep you well. -

 

Care and support

 

You are not alone. People with HIV need care and support, but it's up to you who you tell.

Different people living in different communities may need different kinds of care and support.

Care and support from family and friends is usually the best you can have. If you are HIV positive and have not told your family, friends or partner, then this is something you might need to think about. They may be able to help you through any worries that you have, help you to eat the right foods and to take your treatments exactly the way the doctor tells you.

Care and support can come from many people and places, like your doctor, nurse or an Aboriginal Health Worker. If you have worries or feel sad, it can be good to have a yarn with these people or a counsellor.

 

Positive Living Centres have counselling and some complementary therapies for free.
They can be a good place to get together with other people with HIV to share tips on living with HIV, treatments or just have a yarn.

It is important to find out where you can get care and support. Your AIDS Council or Aboriginal Health Worker can tell you what care and support services there are near you. You can find their contact details in the Need Help? section of this website.

 

You can call this number for free to talk to someone about any questions you have. -

 

What can I do if someone I know has HIV?

You can help by:

• Finding out about HIV so you can stay safe and also help them.
  
• Telling other people in your community how to stay safe so they don't worry about getting HIV.
• Asking the person with HIV how they would like your help.
  
• Helping them to eat the right foods and take their medicines when and how the doctor tells them.
• Being there, hugging them and showing that you care.
• Respecting other people’s business. Only tell others if you have permission.

 

- It is important not to listen to rumours or gossip – be careful and think how you would like people to be if you were HIV positive. -

 

 

 

AFAO would like to recognise the original work from the AFAO/NAPWA resource HIV/AIDS & Us Mob:-

Written by:
Michael Costello and Ross Duffin

Produced by:
The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations and National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS: Education Team (ANET).

With thanks to:
Maurice Shipp, Neville Fazulla, Rigmor Berg, Sue Wicks, Jon Willis, Norman Booker, National Association of People Living With HIV/AIDS (NAPWA), AIDS Treatment Project Australia (ATPA)
This resource has been technically reviewed by the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM).

Artwork & illustrations:
Cover: Arone Raymond Meeks (0419 665 875)
Text illustrations: Gary Dickinson
Copyright: Artists

Layout and design:
Fat Arts (0413 711 452)
ISBN: 1 876469 22 6 (2nd Edition)
HIV/AIDS and Us Mob
© Copyright AFAO Feb 2005
www.afao.org.au