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Frequently Asked Questions
Transmission and Risk
- Can you reduce the risk of getting HIV after having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV?
- Why should you bother using condoms to prevent transmission when HIV is treatable?
- If taking anti-HIV drugs has made your viral load undetectable, can you still pass the virus to another person through sex?
- What are the risks of getting HIV if you put on a condom after you've already started having sex?
- Should a woman douche after a condom breaks?
- What are the chances of a man being infected with HIV after unprotected sex with a woman?
- Can you get HIV through oral sex?
- Is it safe to have unprotected sex with another HIV-positive person?
- Will cleaning IV-drug needles and syringes with bleach before using them prevent you from getting HIV?
- Can two HIV-positive parents have an HIV-negative child?
- Can a couple in which one person is HIV positive and the other person isn't conceive a baby without passing the virus to the uninfected partner?
- Can you get HIV or hepatitis C from blood or organs received from another person?
Testing and the Window Period
- Would you know whether you're infected with HIV without getting tested?
- How soon after risky sex can you be 100% sure you are clear of HIV?
- How accurate is the rapid oral HIV test?
- Are DNA HIV tests accurate? Can they really detect HIV infection soon after exposure?
- What do "inconclusive" test results mean on a home HIV test?
Treatment
- When should you start antiretroviral therapy?
- Is there a once-a-day pill for HIV?
- What is drug resistance in HIV and how can you avoid it?
- What should you do if you miss a dose of your HIV medicines?
- Can you take a break from your HIV medicines?
- Will HIV medicines cause changes to your fat and stomach?
- Is it true that someone has been cured of HIV?
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