Caring for someone living with HIV

What is HIV & AIDS?

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. ‘Immunodeficiency’ refers to the weakening of the immune system by the virus. It was first identified in the 1980s.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is actually a collection of illnesses - a syndrome - caused by a virus that makes their immune system weak, known as immune deficiency. You can’t be diagnosed with AIDS unless you’re already HIV positive.

In the 1980s and into the early 90s most people with HIV were eventually diagnosed with AIDS. Nowadays, thanks to modern treatments, HIV is a long term, manageable condition and progression to serious ill health is very rare. People with HIV can live long and healthy lives. Effective HIV treatments also mean that those with the virus can’t pass it on.

The only way to find out if you have HIV is to have a HIV test. This involves a sample of your blood or saliva being tested for signs of the virus.

When talking about people living with the virus, health professionals use the term ‘people living with HIV’. We do not say someone ‘has AIDS’ if they are living with HIV, even when it is advanced or ‘late-stage’ HIV. We use terminology like ‘people living with HIV’ to challenge HIV stigma and its effect on the health outcomes of those affected. Using people-centred language puts the individual first and acknowledges that they are more than their health condition.

How HIV treatment works

Treatments for HIV do not ‘cure’ people, but they do stop the virus from reproducing in the body. Treatments can reduce the amount of virus in the blood to undetectable levels, meaning that HIV cannot be passed on.

Treatment with anti-HIV drugs is sometimes called combination therapy because people usually take two or three different drugs at the same time – often combined into one tablet.

More recently, an injectable treatment has been developed, this is given to people by a healthcare professional by two injections every two months.

Supporting a Service User with HIV

Professional carers supporting service users with HIV are at very low risk. The likelihood of being exposed to HIV while providing care to someone living with HIV is extremely rare. Some aspects of the disease are still misunderstood. Here are some tips to help increase awareness and bust some myths about HIV.

For starters, HIV can only be passed on through these bodily fluids:

• Blood
• Semen
• Vaginal fluid
• Anal mucus
• Breast milk

It cannot be passed on through:

• Faeces
• Nasal secretions
• Saliva
• Gastric secretions
• Sputum
• Sweat
• Tears
• Urine
• Vomit

Therefore, it cannot be passed on through:

• Spitting, sneezing or coughing.
• Kissing, hugging, holding holds or casual contact.
• General social contact.
• Bodily fluids coming into contact with the skin.

Sharing household items, like cups, plates and cutlery, or using the same facilities such as bathrooms or therapeutic rooms is perfectly acceptable.

Providing care to someone, such as washing, bathing them, or providing them with medical or clinical attention, such as administering medications is safe.

By following precautions and standard infection control best practices carers will be protected, as will those they care for.

People living with HIV should not be treated any differently to other people receiving care; if they were, this would be discrimination. HIV is classified as a disability, regardless of health status, and is therefore protected under the Equality Act. People living with HIV should be treated with the same dignity and respect as all people receiving care.

Find out more about living well with HIV from the Terrence Higgins Trust.