Among other things, a damaged immune system can impact on a person’s ability to fight off infections and illnesses. HIV causes significant damage to the immune system over time when left untreated, although the precise impact can vary from person to person. Other forms of transmission include vaginal sex without condoms and sharing of drug injecting equipment. HIV can be transmitted in a number of ways, but for gay men, anal sex without condoms is the most common way.
HIV is transmitted when infected body fluids (blood, semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk or anal mucus) pass from a person with HIV into the bloodstream of an uninfected person. However in New South Wales, the group most affected by HIV is gay and bisexual men who account for around 75% of new HIV diagnoses. For those on effective HIV treatments, the likelihood of receiving an AIDS diagnosis is very small. It’s possible to have HIV for many years before getting any of the illnesses usually associated with AIDS.
If untreated, HIV weakens the immune system over time, leaving the person who has HIV open to other life-threatening infections.ĪIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome which refers to the range of specific illnesses that a person with HIV may get when their immune system becomes weakened by HIV. The virus affects the body’s immune system, its main defense against disease. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
