HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
HIV/AIDS in our community affects us all. Anyone can get it, and people are more at risk if they also have a sexually transmitted infection.
HIV is a small germ (a virus) that can make it harder for your body to keep itself well. If you have HIV you can get sick from other germs that your body could normally fix. If you get HIV it will always stay in your body.
HIV can get into your body in different ways. The main ways are:
- Having sex without condoms
- Sharing needles and syringes
- Getting someone else’s blood in your cuts
This info comes from HIV and Us Mob. If you want to know more, you can find out by clicking here to download a copy of the HIV and Us Mob booklet.
STIs
Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) are infections you can get by having unprotected sex with someone who has an infection.
STIs are usually passed by having intercourse (a man's penis in a woman's vagina), but they can also be passed through anal sex (a man's penis in a partner's bum – the partner can be either male or female) , oral sex ( a man's penis in a partner's mouth, or a partner's mouth or tongue in a woman's vagina), or skin-to-skin contact.
Anybody who is sexually active can be infected if they do not practise safe sex – you can't tell just by looking at a person that they have an STI. STIs may be caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites.
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