The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that can severely impair the body’s immune system. Over the past 30 years, HIV has infected over 70 million people worldwide, and killed about half. The virus, which is lethal in later stages, is one of the top priorities for medical research, given that there is no cure for the virus after being infected.

In Singapore, many people know of HIV through the big AIDS epidemic that happened in the United States in the 1980s. Most do not fully understand what HIV and AIDS entail, and some choose to shun sexual contact for fear of the virus. Those who are more conservative may even use AIDS as a scare tactic during sexual education, instilling the incorrect information that even the slightest bit of sex could result in a lethal disease.

As a HIV clinic in Singapore, many patients have very similar questions about HIV. In this short guide, we will explore what HIV is, how it can be transmitted and the best ways to protect yourself from being infected with HIV.

What is HIV?

HIV is a virus that weakens the body’s immune system gradually, up to a point where the body can no longer fight infections. During that later stage, the patient is deemed to have developed the Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus (AIDS), and is projected to have at most a few years left to live.

There is no cure for HIV. However, there are medicines that can suppress the virus and delay the onset of AIDS for many years. People living with HIV can be expected to live 20 years and more given that they take their medications properly.

How can HIV be transmitted?

HIV is a virus that can only be transmitted from person to person through sexual contact or through direct injections into the bloodstream. Because the virus cannot survive outside the human body for more than a few minutes, it is impossible for someone to get infected with HIV from sharing food with an infected person, or using the same toilet.

The three main ways that HIV can be transmitted are: through bodily fluids that are transferred through anal or vaginal sex, when needles are shared without proper sterilisation, or through breastmilk during breastfeeding from mother to child. There is virtually no other way that HIV can be transmitted.

How can HIV be prevented?

Putting on a condom whenever you have sex is the first and most important step in preventing HIV. Condoms provide the barrier that stops sexual fluids to transfer between the two sexual partners. Pills that affect menstrual cycles cannot prevent HIV and other STDs, which is why wearing a condom is a key step in preventing HIV.

Otherwise, being faithful to one partner minimizes the chances of contracting HIV. The more sexual partners you have, the higher the chance of contracting an STD such as HIV.

How can you tell if you have HIV?

The only way to tell if you have HIV is going through STD testing in Singapore. This is a service that is offered at all STD clinics and will ascertain whether you have HIV.