Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that cause Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The virus may be passed from one person to another through blood, rectal fluid, semen, vaginal secretions or breast milk.
HIV is most commonly passed through unprotected sexual contact with an infected partner. It may also be transmitted through contact with blood by sharing needles or injections equipment (works). The infection may also be passed from pregnant women to their babies before, during or after birth or through breast milk.
There is no cure for HIV yet, but medications are available that will reduce the amount of virus in the bloodstream to undetectable levels, meaning it can’t be transmitted through sexual contact. There are also medications available that will help prevent contraction of HIV. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medication that can be taken to prevent infection. If a person thinks they may have been exposed to HIV, Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) can prevent infection.
Sometimes people who are infected with HIV have no initial symptoms. Those who do have symptoms may feel like they have a mild case of the flu. Symptoms may include any or all of the following: fever, chills, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, rash, and night sweats.
About 1 in 7 people in the United States who have HIV are unaware that they have it. The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 65 be tested at least once as part of routine health care. Those at higher risk of contracting HIV should be tested every three to six months, or at least once a year.
Testing for HIV can be done with a blood test or an oral swab. Some tests take a few days or weeks to get a result, but rapid HIV tests can provide results in 20 minutes. You can order a free HIV self-test online at endinghivoklahoma.org or visit gettested.org to find a testing location near you or call 211 to get more information on testing.
If you are pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider about getting tested for HIV and ways to protect your child from HIV
You can get HIV by having unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected partner. The risk of HIV can be minimized by using condoms and dental dams properly every time you have sex. Abstinence from sex is the only 100 percent effective way to prevent sexual transmission of the virus. In addition to sexual contact, those who share needles or injection equipment (“works”) may put themselves at risk of contracting HIV through exposure to the blood of a person who has HIV.
A mother living with HIV can pass the virus to her baby before, during or after birth or through breast milk.
In the past, there have been cases of HIV being contracted through blood transfusions. This is very unlikely today because all blood donated in the United States has been tested for HIV since 1985.
Abstinence is the only way to prevent sexual transmission of the virus. Using condoms and dental dams properly every time you have sex will reduce the risk of sexual transmission to near zero. Those who inject drugs should never share needles or injection equipment. Harm reduction programs that allow people to return used needles have been shown to reduce the transmission of bloodborne viruses like HIV and Hepatitis.
Those who are at higher risk of contracting the virus should talk to their healthcare provider about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. This medication works to prevent infection in case of exposure to the virus. If a person has been exposed to HIV, they should contact their healthcare provider immediately. Post-Exposure Prophylaxis can be effective at preventing infection by HIV, but it must be taken within 72 hours of exposure (and ideally, within two hours).
There are healthcare providers throughout the state who can prescribe PrEP and PEP.
- PrEP and PEP Providers in the Oklahoma City Metro Area
- PrEP and PEP Providers in the Tulsa Metro Area
- PrEP and PEP Providers near the Oklahoma State Line
If you have tested positive for HIV, treatments are available to reduce the amount of virus in the bloodstream. These Antiretroviral Therapies (ART) keep the immune system as healthy as possible and help it combat the virus. People living with HIV must take ART for the rest of their lives to keep the virus at undetectable levels.
There are programs to help people living with HIV get into treatment and stay in treatment. The Ryan White Program provides specific HIV medication to individuals in Oklahoma living with HIV. Find out more about the Ryan White HIV Drug Assistance Program.
