HIV

You may be concerned about HIV and we can set your mind at rest with a quick and simple test. 

The results of an HIV test can be available within 15 minutes. If your test is positive we can arrange for counselling and treatment.

We are one of Britain's leading private clinics specialising in sexual health problems with over 20 years experience. All our doctors are specialists in sexual health.

You can find out more about HIV below.

How HIV is caught

There are three main ways that HIV is transmitted:

• Having vaginal or anal sex without a condom with someone who is HIV positive.
• A mother with HIV can pass the virus onto her baby, either during pregnancy, at birth or by breast-feeding.
• Sharing drug-injecting equipment, such as needles or syringes, that are contaminated with HIV infected blood.

In this country, all equipment used in hospitals, clinics and dental or doctor's surgeries is sterilised and poses no risk for the transmission of HIV.

HIV Transmission and oral sex

Unprotected oral sex with an infected person carries some risk, but this is minimal - infection from oral sex on its own seems to be very rare.

HIV cannot be caught by:

* Touching, kissing or hugging
* Eating food prepared by someone with HIV or sharing crockery or cutlery
* Insect or animal bites
* Sharing a toilet seat with someone with HIV
* Using swimming pools

The Prevalence of HIV in Britain.

Over 60,000 people are living with HIV in the UK, of whom probably a third are unaware of their diagnosis. Over 7000 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2004 with the majority of new diagnoses occurring in heterosexual men and women who acquired their infection outside of the UK, predominantly in Africa. Sex between men accounted for 30% of new infections of HIV overall but accounted for 75% of all new infections which were acquired through sex in the UK.

There are some parts of the world - such as sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia and Eastern Europe - where HIV infection is very much more common. The risk of being infected with HIV is therefore based not just on what you do, but where you do it.

Treatment

There is no cure for HIV or AIDS and no vaccine to prevent a person from becoming infected. However, there are cures and treatments for the significant number of other infections and diseases that people with HIV are prone to.

There are also combination treatments of anti-HIV drugs that people with HIV benefit from. These drugs are not able to get rid of the virus, but they stop it from reproducing and reduce the amount of virus in the body. This enables the immune system to recover and become better able to defend itself from infections. These combination therapies give patients with HIV major improvements in their health, delay the progression to AIDS and have dramatically reduced the death rates from HIV/AIDS. However this therapy has to be taken regularly, every day for life. The drugs sometimes have unpleasant side-effects and the long term effects of taking these therapies is not yet known.

Safer Sex

Safer sex is any sex that doesn't allow a person's blood, semen or fluid from the vagina into the other partner's body. Some kinds of sex, such as kissing or masturbation, carry no risk of HIV. For an individual who is seriously concerned about their sexual health it makes far more sense to practice safer sex, rather than to rely on a prolonged and potentially toxic course of drugs to prevent HIV.

Anal and vaginal sex without a condom carry the highest risk.

Oral sex (where one partner uses their tongue or mouth to stimulate their partner's genitals) carries only a very small risk of infection. You can reduce the risk by avoiding getting any semen in the mouth and being especially careful if you have a sore throat or any cuts, sores or ulcers in you mouth as these can all increase the risk of transmission.

Condoms

Condoms are an effective barrier against HIV. It is important to remember that HIV is not the only infection caught through unprotected sex and that condoms protect against other sexually transmitted infections and prevent unplanned pregnancies.

There are numerous types of condoms in different shapes, sizes, thicknesses, colours and flavours. Some condoms have added spermicide and others come already lubricated. If using extra lubrication during sex it is important to only use water-based lubricants with condoms. Oil based lubricants, such as massage oil, baby oil, or vaseline can very quickly destroy the latex that condoms are made from and cause them to break. Strong condoms and plenty of water-based lubricant are needed for anal sex. For condoms to be effective, it is important to use them properly, so always check the pack for instructions.

The riskiest time for catching any sexually transmitted infection (including HIV) is at the time of changing partners, at the beginning of a sexual relationship or with casual partners or one-night-stands. These are the times it is most important to use condoms.

Injecting Drug Use

Most HIV infection in this country is sexually transmitted. However, sharing equipment for injecting drugs is also a potential risk. If you inject drugs, always use your own equipment. Needle exchange schemes provide free supplies of sterile equipment and condoms, and can also safely dispose of used equipment. When sharing needles etc., there is also a risk for transmission of other blood-born viruses such as Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

For more information contact:

National Drugs Helpline: 0800 77 66 00.
Terence Higgins Trust: 020 7242 1010