HIV/Aids
Key fact at a glance
- The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) weakens the body’s ability to fight pathogens, and defective body cells – if no HIV medications are taken.
- Antiretroviral drugs suppress HIV replication. When started early and continued lifelong, antiretroviral therapy (ART) provides best chances of having a normal life expectancy while being largely free from symptoms and preventing AIDS. However, ART cannot completely restore the immune system or remove the virus from the body.
- Without ART, HIV almost always leads to the development of AIDS and life-threatening conditions.
- HIV is difficult to transmit; there is no risk of infection in everyday life. Infections occur mainly during unprotected sex with untreated people with HIV (sex without condoms or internal condoms, treatment as prevention or pre-exposure prophylaxis/PrEP) and when sharing syringes and needles for drug use.
- Without ART, infections may also occur during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.
- Infectivity (contagiousness) is particularly high when the virus is strongly replicating, such as in the first few weeks after infection. With stable and effective therapy, however, HIV cannot be sexually transmitted.
- Protection from HIV is provided by condoms and internal condoms, stable and effective antiretroviral therapy, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and safer use practices. Transmission to babies can almost always be avoided through comprehensive medical supervision. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medication can strongly reduce the risk of HIV infection after risk exposure.
- A vaccine against HIV is unlikely to be available within the next few years, but medications that remain effective for several months will be introduced for PrEP.
- Diagnosis: It usually takes two to four weeks after infection for viral components (antigens) and antibodies to become detectable in the blood by advanced laboratory tests (antigen/ antibody tests); in some cases, it may take slightly longer. An infection can be reliably ruled out by a laboratory test no earlier than six weeks after the last risk exposure. Rapid tests that are also offered as self-testing kits for home use are subject to a safety period of 12 weeks after the last risk exposure.