HIV can be transmitted in a variety of ways, including through many types of sexual activity as well as through injection drug use and accidental needlesticks. HIV is actually not a very infectious disease, but because of the lifelong nature of the infection, it’s best to protect yourself.
The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, can be transmitted in a variety of different ways. One common method is through sexual activity. Any activity that mixes the fluids of the two partners can transmit the virus, including vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral sex. While the partner performing oral sex is more likely to acquire the virus than the partner receiving it, they are both at risk if oral sex is unprotected.
Although it is certainly transmissible, HIV is actually not a very infectious disease. During a single sexual act, the likelihood of transmission is generally less than 1%. However, most people engage in many sexual acts during the course of a year, and the small risk for each act adds up to a much larger chance of becoming infected if one continues to have unprotected sex. Using a condom during any type of penetration, or a dental dam during cunnilingus, prevents the mixing of fluids and greatly reduces the chances of transmission of HIV.
Once a person acquires HIV, it becomes much more likely that they’ll acquire other types of infectious disease. This is how the virus manifests itself, if left untreated; a patient will have an infectious disease that’s very uncommon. Although this could happen once by chance, the HIV patient will have unusual infectious diseases over and over again, as the virus damages the immune system. Eventually, the body is so unprotected that death occurs.
Although a diagnosis of HIV was formerly a death sentence, this is no longer the case. Scientific researchers have spent a great deal of effort on developing medications that can control HIV. As long as they’re taken vigilantly, the levels of HIV in the bloodstream can be kept low, and the damage to the immune system can be greatly reduced. However, forgetting to take the medications frequently or deciding to take a break from them for a while can render the medications less effective, as the virus develops resistance to them. If you get an HIV infection, you’ll need to take the medications for the rest of your life.
The medications are most effective if they’re started early in the course of the illness. If you wait until you start to experience major health problems as a result of HIV, then it will be much harder to get it under control. This is why it’s important to have an HIV test regularly. If your HIV test finds that you have HIV, you can start the medications as soon as possible, for the best chance to keep the virus from progressing.
It’s recommended that everyone has an HIV test in Singapore at least once during their adult lives. Those who are sexually active should have the HIV test at least once a year, and those in higher-risk groups (such as men who have sex with men) should have the test more frequently, every three to six months. To get an HIV test in Singapore discreetly, you can visit your local STD clinic.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic. “STD symptoms: Common STDs and their symptoms.” Mayo Clinic. Published 18 Mar 2015. Accessed 05 Jul 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/std-symptoms/art-20047081
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 25 Feb 2014. Accessed 05 Jul 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/std/general/default.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Screening Recommendations Referenced in Treatment Guidelines and Original Recommendation Sources.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 04 Jun 2015. Accessed 05 Jul 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/screening-recommendations.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “HIV Basics – Testing.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 05 May 2016. Accessed 05 Jul 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/testing.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “HIV Risk Behaviors.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 04 Dec 2015. Accessed 05 Jul 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/estimates/riskbehaviors.html
References
Infectious disease at Shim Clinic, Singapore