HIV & AIDS

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Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) causes progressive damage to the immune system within the body. The immune system usually helps to fight off bacterial, fungal or viral infections and also some cancers. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by HIV and occurs when the immune system is severely damaged, allowing infections and cancers to develop and become life threatening.

Transmission

HIV can be transmitted through the exchange of blood, semen, anal mucus, vaginal fluids or breast milk, such as:

  • Unprotected anal and vaginal
  • Sharing needles and syringes when injecting
  • Sharing piercing or cutting instruments that has been contaminated with another person’s blood
  • Blood transfusion
  • During pregnancy, at birth, or via breast milk
  • In rare cases, it is spread through oral sex and needle-stick injuries

In order for transmission to occur HIV needs an entrance point like a cut, scratch, abrasion, open sore or bleeding gums, or to be injected directly into the bloodstream through a needle or syringe. The presence of other STIs, especially genital ulcers or sores, makes sexual transmission of HIV more likely.

In some Australian states, it’s against the law for sex workers living with HIV to work in the sex industry.. Contact the local sex worker organisation to find out more about the rights and responsibilities of  sex worker living with HIV.

What is the risk of getting HIV?

  • Deep kissing: Safe. HIV is not in sufficient quantities in saliva for it to be transmitted.
  • Oral sex: Very low risk. When giving oral sex, use condoms and dams, especially if the area around and inside the mouth contains any recent dental surgery, bleeding or inflamed gums, oral piercings and/or cuts. Don’t brush or floss teeth beforehand.
  • Hand relief: Safe. Make sure the penis and ejaculate is directed away from the eyes if no condom is used. Eye sockets are lined with mucous membranes and small blood vessels which the virus can enter. In addition, make sure any cuts or abrasions which will allow the virus a passage to enter the body are covered.

Signs and Symptoms

Many people don’t get any initial symptoms at all. Others might experience flu-like symptoms (headache, fever, swollen glands and lymph nodes, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, achy muscles and joints) when they first contract HIV, which disappear on their own after a couple of weeks and the person feels fine again. Other identifying symptoms include rash, weight loss and mouth ulcers. There are no visible signs of HIV to look for when checking clients, either.

Testing for HIV

The decision to test is voluntary and should be made with informed consent. People taking a HIV test can request for information and counselling before and after  the blood test and the results are confidential. There are a number of different tests used to detect HIV and a combination of these tests can be used together to detect the virus. The current combination HIV fourth generation test detects early markers of HIV infection as well as immune response to the virus. This means that a blood test can detect HIV as early as 2-3 weeks from exposure and will be conclusive (either positive or negative test result) at 6 weeks.

Rapid Tests

Rapid HIV testing is performed using a device that tests for the presence of HIV antibodies or the virus itself (depending on the device), and provides results in about 20 minutes. Rapid HIV testing is currently available in numerous locations in Australia. Rapid testing is not suitable for early detection of HIV as the window period between seroconversion and detection is longer than laboratory blood testing. Seroconversion refers to the period of time HIV antibodies develop and become detectable in the blood.  People who suspect that they have recently been exposed to HIV should access PEP.

A reactive result (also called a preliminary positive result) from a rapid test needs to be confirmed with a laboratory test, as rapid tests produce a small number of false positives (a false positive refers to the test producing a positive result even though HIV is not present).

Rapid tests are available in sexual health clinics, some GPs and community-based testing services such as mobile HIV testing vans.

Home Testing

Home Sampling

Home sampling refers to taking a mouth swab or a finger prick, mailing it to a laboratory, and the results are delivered by phone, text or online. HIV home sampling is different to self-testing (also referred to as HIVST) in that home sampling requires the user to send off the sample that they have extracted outside of a clinical setting to a laboratory to be tested for HIV.

Home sampling may be available through trial projects in some state and territory HIV/AIDS organisations.

Self-Testing

HIV self-testing is a HIV testing tool that allows a person to perform a HIV test at home using a rapid testing device or kit. Some self-tests use a swab along the gum line, and some use a finger prick to draw a small amount of blood. HIV self-tests are particularly beneficial for people who prefer to test in private, alone or with people they trust, rather than in a health clinic. However, a reactive (sometimes incorrectly referred to as a positive) result needs to be confirmed with a laboratory HIV test that is conducted by a trained testing provider. Additionally, self-tests are not recommended for people taking antiretroviral drugs such as Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) or Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), as there is a greater chance of getting a false non-reactive (false negative result).

In November 2018, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved Australia’s first HIV self-test kits, the Atomo self-test kits. As the Atomo kits are the only self-test kits approved by the TGA, it is the only kit that is recognised to meet Australian standards of safety and accuracy. These tests provide users a reactive or non-reactive result within 15 minutes of performing the test.

The Atomo self-test kits are available in online stores and distributed through HIV/AIDS organisations and sexual health clinics. They will be available at some Australian pharmacies soon. Initially, tests will be available at Serafim’s pharmacy in Taylor Square, Sydney, and the 777 pharmacy network in Western Australia. More pharmacies will begin selling the test kits later in 2022. 

The Atomo kits cost $25 in person, or $25 online plus postage fees. If you are buying the Atomo kits from an online store, you will be required to watch an instructional video on how to properly use the self-test before you complete your purchase. If you are accessing the Atomo kits through an organisation such as a HIV/AIDS or a sexual health clinic, the peer educator or health worker is required to inform you on how to perform the test and interpret your results.

The Atomo kits come with:

  • self-testing tools which include a cartridge and a bottle of test fluid which is added into the cartridge with the blood sample;
  • a set of instructions to guide the user to extract the sample, perform the test and interpret the results;
  • a disposal bag; and
  • a ‘Care Card.’ The ‘Care Card’ will have a list of referrals for the user to contact if there are any questions or concerns about the self-tests.

The type of testing tool used to screen for HIV in the Atomo self-test kits are rapid tests. There are no known studies that investigate the number of false reactives and negatives produced in low prevalence populations by the rapid tests provided in the Atomo self-test kits. However, all rapid tests have a possibility of producing a false reactive result. The ratio of false reactive results will always be more likely in low prevalence populations, like the sex worker population in Australia, as opposed to high prevalence populations. Generally, all rapid tests and self-testing kits are recommended for high prevalence populations as it is more likely that this group will receive a ‘true’ self-testing result. The Scarlet Alliance Rapid Testing Position Paper highlighted that the Alere rapid tests produced a high number of false reactives when used in low prevalence populations, like the sex worker community in Australia.

As highlighted above, a reactive self-test result must always be followed up with confirmatory laboratory testing. Additionally, the Atomo self-tests have a window period of 3 months. This means that HIV will not be detected by the self-tests if exposure to HIV happened in the last 3 months. If you think you have been recently exposed to HIV, a laboratory test will be more effective in detecting the virus. If you think you have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, you should consider using Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). If you are unsure about the results of your self-test or whether you performed the test correctly, contact your community health service for a laboratory test.

Treatment

HIV treatments, also called antiretroviral drugs, have significantly advanced since they were first introduced and there are many drug treatments to control HIV and reduce the risk of progression to AIDS. However, HIV treatment is often complicated and there are many factors to consider such as when to start treatment, reducing resistance, side-effects, monitoring and changing treatments and interactions with other medications. As a result, when starting treatment, it is important to consult a doctor with expertise in HIV management.

Drug treatments (such as combination therapy) also reduce the risk of transmission of HIV from mother to baby during pregnancy. Whilst there is currently no vaccine or cure for HIV these medications enable a better quality of life for people living with HIV.

Prevention

The proper use of condoms and lube during sex (anal or vaginal) will greatly reduce the risk of HIV transmission. In addition, the use of sterile injecting equipment and biomedical strategies such as TasP, PEP and PrEP will significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission.

Safer sexual activities include masturbation, touching, voyeurism, kissing, cuddling, body-to-body rubbing and erotic massage.

Treatment as Prevention (TasP)

TasP refers to the use of antiretroviral drugs by people living with HIV to reduce the amount of HIV present in their bodily fluids (such as blood and genital fluids) to undetectable levels, which eliminates the risk of HIV transmission. There is strong evidence of the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) as a means of HIV prevention. When ART results in viral suppression, defined as less than 200 copies/ml or undetectable levels, it prevents sexual HIV transmission. People who take ART daily as prescribed and achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner. This means for HIV undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U).

Three different research studies with serodiscordant couples (where one person is HIV positive, and the other person is HIV negative) using TasP reported no HIV transmission. TasP can also prevent transmission of HIV between serodiscordant couples when conceiving.

Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

PrEP is the use of antiretroviral drugs by HIV negative people to greatly reduce the risk of contracting HIV upon exposure. PrEP is taken on an ongoing basis and is currently available through trial projects in some states and territories, or a script from a doctor or via personal importation. PrEP has recently been listed on the PBS reducing the cost to approx. $40 per month for PBS co-payments. If you are considering PrEP, you should discuss this with a doctor experienced in HIV or sexual health to help decide if PrEP is right for you.

See PreP for more information or contact the local sex worker organisation.

Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)

PEP is for HIV negative people who have potentially been exposed to HIV. PEP is a short course of HIV medication that, if taken within 72 hours of exposure to HIV, can significantly reduce the chance of getting HIV. While there are guidelines for PEP prescription, healthcare professionals assess whether an individual is eligible for a prescription on a case by case basis. 

You can get PEP from the emergency department of most public hospitals, sexual health centres, and prescribing doctors and clinics. Most states have a 24 hour PEP Hotline or information line. You can also find out where you can get PEP in your state or territory via the Get Pep website. . 

Some hospitals and sexual health centres will dispense PEP free of charge. Otherwise, you  may have to make a co-payment to get your prescription filled. If you are not eligible for Medicare, there may be additional costs involved.

PEP should not replace safer sex practices.See PEP for more information or contact your local sex worker organisation.

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