HIV and AIDS

How is HIV transmitted?

HIV can be transmitted from one person to another through blood or semen. Pregnant mothers can transmit HIV to the baby during pregnancy or childbirth through vaginal and cervical secretions.

Wear a condom to prevent the transmission of HIV through unprotected sex. Bloodborne infection can occur, for example, when injecting intravenous drugs with a used needle. HIV cannot penetrate healthy skin, so there is no risk of transmission in normal social contact.

If you are exposed to HIV due to your profession, for example, health care staff, police, security guards or cleaners, you should immediately contact either a doctor on call or your occupational health care provider. In the case of exposure at work, the workplace’s instructions must be followed and action must be taken immediately in accordance with the instructions.

HIV treatment as a preventive or post-exposure measure

If the risk of exposure to HIV is high, a person may be prescribed pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medication for HIV.

PREP is an HIV prophylaxis medication intended for use by HIV-negative, sexually active individuals to prevent HIV infections. Pre-exposure medication is recommended for people who are at high risk for HIV. PREP is administered before exposure to HIV and, when used correctly, it is effective in preventing HIV infection. In Finnish public healthcare, PREP treatment (medicines and monitoring) is free of charge.

PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is an emergency HIV medication that may be prescribed by a doctor in situations where there is an increased risk of contracting HIV. If the treatment is started within 72 hours of exposure, the risk of transmission of HIV is reduced. In Finland, infectious disease specialists have issued guidelines for emergency HIV medication related to unprotected sex.

Symptoms of HIV

The initial symptoms subside in about a month. At the beginning of the initial symptoms, the infection may not yet show up in blood tests.

Just under half of the infected will develop the first symptoms within two to six weeks of infection.

Typical symptoms of HIV include:

• fever
• sore throat
• rash
• muscle pain
• joint problems
• headache
• enlarged lymph nodes

An HIV infection may remain asymptomatic for several years. When the immune system is weakened, some patients develop general symptoms such as weight loss, diarrhoea, night sweats, frequent or widespread herpes or shingles.

HIV test – blood test

If you think you may be infected with HIV as a result of unprotected sex or using a used needle, the presence of an infection can be determined with a blood test. It is advisable to get tested for HIV at the asymptomatic stage, approximately one month after potential exposure. Some infections can be detected with antibody tests as early as three weeks after infection. However, a reliable negative HIV test result cannot be acquired until three months after infection.