1. WORLD AIDS DAY 2016 Life with HIV in the UK today
1st December 2016
Created by NAT (National AIDS trust)

2. Overview Understanding HIV: Key facts and myths
World AIDS
Day 2016
Overview
Understanding HIV: Key facts and myths
Life with HIV in the UK today
What can you do?

3. Understanding HIV
What is World AIDS Day?
World AIDS Day (WAD) is held every year on 1st December to raise awareness about HIV. It is a day to show support for people living with HIV, remember those who have lost their lives because of HIV, and learn the facts and realities of HIV today, in the UK and worldwide.

4. Understanding HIV
What is HIV?
HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. It stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and can develop when HIV damages the immune system to such an extent that it can no longer fight off a range of infections it would normally cope with.

5. HIV statistics Over 103,000 people are living with HIV in the UK.
Understanding HIV
HIV statistics
Over 103,000 people are living with HIV in the UK.
1 in 6 people living with HIV in the UK do not know they have the virus.
Just under half of adults who get HIV are diagnosed late. Late diagnosis can cause complications and even shorten your life expectancy.
36.9 million people across the world are living with HIV.

6. Understanding HIV
Who gets HIV?
Anyone can potentially get HIV if they have been at risk.
The most common way HIV is passed on in the UK is through sex without condoms. Condoms are very effective at preventing the spread of HIV.
In the UK the groups most affected by HIV are gay and bisexual men and black African men and women.
Some young people will have lived with HIV their whole life because HIV can be passed on during pregnancy, birth or breast feeding. However, in the UK this is now very rare because HIV medication is used to prevent this from happening.

7. What is life like with HIV?
Understanding HIV
What is life like with HIV?
If diagnosed in good time, and with effective medication, people living with HIV can now live as long as anyone else and will be unlikely to develop AIDS. This is because medication is very good at reducing the amount of virus in the body, meaning that the immune system stays strong.
With effective medication, people living with HIV are very unlikely to pass on the virus to anyone else. This is because HIV medication stops the virus from replicating and can suppress the virus to undetectable levels in the body. This is often known as being ‘undetectable’ and means that passing on HIV is virtually impossible.

8. What is life like with HIV?
Understanding HIV
What is life like with HIV?
In the UK, people living with HIV can do any job, apart from serving on the ‘front-line’ in the armed forces. This is the same for many other long-term conditions which require you to take daily medication.
Unfortunately, many people still hold stigmatising attitudes towards HIV, which is often based on outdated assumptions and a lack of knowledge. Stigma and discrimination are therefore still significant obstacles that people living with HIV face.

9. HIV myths
Busting the myths
The following are some of the key misunderstandings people have about HIV.
How many myths did you believe before today?

10. Myth 1: People living with HIV do not have long to live
HIV myths
Myth 1: People living with HIV do not have long to live
There isn't a cure for HIV but treatment is so advanced that it can now be managed very well.
If you are diagnosed in good time and take your medication as prescribed, your quality of life and life expectancy can be just the same as anyone else.

11. Myth 2: It is really easy to be infected with HIV
HIV myths
Myth 2: It is really easy to be infected with HIV
HIV is passed on through sex without a condom or sharing needles or injecting equipment with someone who has detectable levels of HIV.
If someone living with HIV is diagnosed and responding well to treatment they can suppress the virus to such an extent that it becomes virtually impossible for them to pass on HIV – this is know as having an ‘undetectable’ viral load.
HIV is often passed on by people who don’t know they have it, which is why testing is so important.
There is no risk of contracting HIV through day-to-day contact, touching and kissing.

12. Myth 3: If I’ve been at risk of HIV there is nothing I can do
HIV myths
Myth 3: If I’ve been at risk of HIV there is nothing I can do
If you know you’ve been at risk of getting HIV you can take Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).
PEP involves you taking 4 weeks of HIV medication and can prevent HIV infection, if started within 72 hours after being exposed to HIV.
If you think you have been at risk of HIV infection, you should get a free and confidential HIV test and/or request PEP at your local sexual health clinic or A&E.

13. Myth 4: Only gay men get HIV
HIV myths
Myth 4: Only gay men get HIV
Anyone who has sex without a condom or shares needles and equipment when injecting drugs is at risk of HIV.
Gay and bisexual men have been disproportionately affected by HIV as a group and the majority of new HIV diagnoses in 2014 were through sex between men.
However, there are more heterosexual people living with diagnosed HIV in the UK (40,842) compared with men who have sex with men (38,434).

14. Myth 5: You can’t have a baby if you or your partner has HIV
HIV myths
Myth 5: You can’t have a baby if you or your partner has HIV
If someone living with HIV decides to have a baby they can take steps to ensure HIV is not passed on to a partner when trying to conceive (if one of the partners is HIV negative).
If someone living with HIV is pregnant they can take medication to prevent HIV being passed on to the baby.
In the UK today there is less than a 0.5% chance of HIV being passed to an infant if the right steps are taken.

15. Experiences of people living with HIV
An important part of World AIDS Day is taking the time to understand the realities of living with HIV.
We asked people living with and affected by HIV to share some of their experiences for this assembly. Some of the responses have come from young people.
Here are some of the things they wanted to tell you…

16. Being tested for and diagnosed with HIV:
Living with HIV
Being tested for and diagnosed with HIV:
“My life has definitely improved after being diagnosed in I'm more healthy mentally and physically with latest HIV treatment, I'm so glad I accepted to do a HIV test.”
“I am a teacher and have been living with HIV for the past 31 years; I am living testimony that there is life after an HIV diagnosis. Having the HIV test and an HIV diagnosis can be challenging but it has also enabled me to get treatment and support, take care of my health and continue to live a very rewarding and productive life.”

17. Stigma and discrimination:
Living with HIV
Stigma and discrimination:
"Living with HIV as a teenager is difficult because the period of your life about discovering who you are coincides with the discovery that society will never accept you because of a virus.” Young person living with HIV
“2015 taught me a LOT about the media and HIV. I saw some totally unacceptable things said in the media about HIV this year.” Young person living with HIV

18. Telling other people about HIV:
Living with HIV
Telling other people about HIV:
“This year we told my sibling of our status and it’s been so much nicer not having to hide HIV in my own home.” Young person living with HIV
(On revealing someone’s HIV status without permission) “As a child living with HIV. This is one of the greatest fears and one of the most intrusive things a human can do!” Young person living with HIV
"As a single mother, for me the hardest thing was to tell my teenage daughter. To make sure that she knew the facts before she knew I was HIV positive, I asked her to help me to put together a talk for a local 6th form college. I wanted her to know that I wasn't going to die any time soon. She is fine about it now, and talks about it to her friends, but she was in shock at the time."

19. Relationships and being ‘undetectable’:
Living with HIV
Relationships and being ‘undetectable’:
“HIV hasn't been a barrier to me having relationships. When I first told my boyfriend I had HIV he was initially surprised, however he found out more about it and was particularly reassured to find out that because I was on treatment and ‘undetectable’ it meant I couldn't pass on HIV.”

20. Family and HIV: Living with HIV
“When I was diagnosed with HIV 18 years ago I was devastated: I thought I wouldn't live to see my young children grow up and that HIV would have a terrible impact on my life. I realise now how wrong I was. HIV has never been a barrier to me doing anything - in fact I've had two more children, both of whom are HIV negative and I expect to live into old age like anyone else.”
“My mum told me that she was living with HIV when I was 16. I was initially surprised and worried for her. But I knew that with HIV treatment my mum would have a normal life expectancy, could have any job & wouldn’t pass on the virus onto anyone. However there is still a lot of challenges for people living with HIV both in the UK and around the world. Finding out my mum was positive motivated me to become involved with campaigning with HIV/AIDS organisations.” Young person affected by HIV

21. What can you do?
What can you do?
Now that you have heard about what it is like to live with HIV in the UK there are things you can do to help support World AIDS Day:
Wear a red ribbon as a mark of solidarity on World AIDS Day
Challenge HIV stigma with the facts
Keep yourself informed about HIV

22. What can I do?
Useful links…
Learn more about HIV and the facts at HIV Aware:
Campaign and become an HIV activist:
Do something great for World AIDS Day:

23. WORLD AIDS DAY 2016 1st December 2016
NAT would like to thank our supporters for sharing their experiences for this assembly.
1st December 2016
HIV stigma still hasn’t gone away. It has no place in It’s not retro, it’s outdated. #HIVNotRetro