HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a virus that attacks your body’s immune system.
If you have HIV and you do not take medicines, your immune system becomes weaker. After a long time without medicines, your body cannot defend itself any more against infections. You then have AIDS. A person with AIDS is unlikely to live as long as a person without it.
Medicines can keep HIV under control but HIV cannot be cured. With HIV medicines someone with HIV can live a normal life.
If you do not strictly follow your treatment, you can pass on HIV to other people, even if you have no symptoms yet.
Knowing whether you have HIV
To know whether you have HIV, you need to get tested. Talk to a health professional if you want to get tested for HIV.
