At the moment, there is no cure for HIV or AIDS. But there are cures and treatments for many of the illnesses that people with HIV are prone to. There are also combination treatments that most people with HIV benefit from, and many people have definite and major health improvements. The drugs reduce the level of HIV in the blood and delay the development of AIDS. Research shows that most people who are on these treatments live longer and feel better. However, the drugs can have unpleasant side effects and many different drugs have to be taken every day, and some people cannot cope with this. The long-term effects of being on combination therapy are not yet known.

There is no vaccine against HIV

HIV infection is spread throughout the world. But there are some parts of the world - such as sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia and Eastern Europe - where known levels of infection are higher than in others. The risk is higher in countries with more people infected with HIV, but the risk of infection is everywhere. Worldwide, the commonest way of becoming infected with HIV is by sex between men and women.

In the UK, over 2500 people test positive for HIV every year and the number of people living with HIV continues to rise with most infections being amongst gay and bisexual men. The rate of HIV infection amongst heterosexual men and women is also rising. Most of these are among people from Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the UK there are three main ways in which HIV can be passed on by:

• having vaginal or anal sex without a condom with someone who has HIV. Unprotected oral sex also carries some risk;
• a mother with HIV to her baby during pregnancy, at birth or through breastfeeding; and
• sharing needles, syringes or other drug-injecting equipment that is contaminated with HIV infected blood.

You cannot get HIV through:

• kissing, touching, hugging or shaking hands;
• sharing crockery and cutlery;
• coughing or sneezing;
• contact with toilet seats;
• insect or animal bites;
• swimming pools; or
• eating food prepared by someone with HIV.

As an extra safety measure, all blood, blood products, organs and tissues for transplant in the UK are screened for antibodies to HIV. Blood products are also heat-treated.

It makes sense for anyone giving first aid to follow standard hygiene and safety precautions and avoid direct contact with the injured person's blood. If you do get someone else's blood on your skin, simply wash it off.

Anything that punctures the skin, including tattooing, acupuncture needles and equipment for ear-piercing, body-piercing or removing hair by electrolysis, could pass on HIV and other viruses carried by blood (for example, Hepatitis B and C). Reliable practitioners will use disposable equipment or sterilise it before use. Ask if you are unsure and only go ahead with the procedure if you are satisfied that sterile equipment is being used.

For more information and for a free copy of the leaflet, 'Travel safe', please call the National AIDS Helpline free on 0800 567 123. For more advice on any precautions you need to take for your journey, you can call the MASTA Traveller's Helpline (Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad) on 09068 224100. This is a recorded message, so be prepared to leave your name, address and journey details. Calls to this number are charged at 60p a minute.

You can reduce this risk by doing the following.

• Avoid getting semen in your mouth, particularly if you have any cuts, sores or ulcers in your mouth.
• If the penis is being stimulated during oral sex, consider using a condom.
• Use a dental dam (a latex square) for oral sex with a woman. Hold the dental dam over the woman's genital area to protect you against infection from vaginal fluid and menstrual blood. They are not widely available but you may be able to get them from some sexual health clinics, chemists, shops and some mail-order agencies. Call the National AIDS Helpline for details on freephone
  0800 567 123.

Condom basics

• Condoms come in a range of shapes, sizes, thicknesses, colours and flavours.
• Always use condoms with the European CE mark or CE and British kitemark.
• Most condoms come already lubricated but some people find using extra water-based lubricant can make sex more comfortable, and help prevent the condom tearing.
• For anal sex always use plenty of water-based lubricant to help prevent the condom splitting.
• There is also a female condom (the Femidom) that fits inside the vagina.
• There is a type of condom (the Avanti) which is made of thin plastic. The Avanti is suitable for most people who are allergic to latex. It is said to reduce the loss of sensitivity that some people complain of with latex condoms. Avanti comes with a CE mark, but its use for anal sex has not been tested.
• Male and female condoms will only protect you if you use them properly. Check the pack for instructions.
• You may already be using some form of contraception, such as the contraceptive pill. But a good-quality condom, used properly every time you have sex, can help protect you against unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections including HIV

• You can have the virus and look and feel fit and healthy.
• Many people may not know for sure whether they or their partner have HIV.
• The only way to find out if you're both HIV negative is to have an HIV test.

The more partners you have unprotected sex with, the more likely you are to come into contact with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Remember - condoms also protect against other sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy.

For details about needle exchanges, cleaning with bleach, or local drug services, call the 24-hour National Drugs Helpline on 08007766 00. This service is completely free and confidential.

NHS sexual health (GUM) clinics offer free HIV testing and screening for other infections. Your GP will not be told you have had the test without your permission. All information is kept strictly confidential. You can go to any clinic, anywhere in the country. You don't have to use a local one and you don't have to be referred by your GP.

You can also get the test from your GP. If you take the test with your GP, the result will probably be entered in your medical records.

If your test is positive, you will have to have another test to check the result.

• No antibodies to HIV were found in your blood.
• This usually means that you do not have HIV.

However, a single negative test result may not be enough to rely on. It can take up to three months, and sometimes longer, for HI V-antibodies to show up in the blood test after someone becomes infected. Because of this 'waiting period', some people who test negative may be advised to have another test. The clinic staff will be able to tell you when this will be done.

Also, even if you get a negative result, you can still become infected in the future if you put yourself at risk.

HIV positive

• Antibodies to HIV were found in your blood.
• You have HIV.
• This does not tell you whether you have AIDS.

Being HIV positive means you will need to look at ways of taking particular care of your own health. It also means that you can pass on the virus to others, but only in certain ways. So:

• always use a condom for vaginal, anal or oral sex;
• if you inject drugs, do not let other people use your equipment; and
• remember, you cannot pass on the virus through everyday social contact.

There are major benefits of knowing you are HIV positive during pregnancy. The combination treatments mean that the chances of a woman with HIV passing it on to her baby can be reduced in different ways. There are treatments that can be taken during pregnancy, and different options for giving birth. Another way to reduce the risk is not to breastfeed, and there are treatments that can be given to the baby after birth.

If a woman with HIV has a baby, it can take from one to four months to tell whether the baby has the virus. Your doctor or midwife can explain this in more detail.

The staff at your clinic can give you more advice and support, including information on medical and other treatments. There are many groups and organisations that offer advice and support to people with HIV and their family, partners and friends (see the inside back cover).

• Looking after yourself - if your test results are positive, knowing you have HIV will allow you to get advice and counselling about your own future health. There are combination treatments that can help delay the onset of AIDS. You can discuss whether or when to start the treatments with medical staff at the clinic. Starting your treatment at the right time can affect how well it works.
• Life insurance - if you apply for life insurance you will be asked if you are HIV positive. If you are, your application is likely to be turned down. By law, the insurance contract will not be valid if you do not give accurate information. You will also be asked to give permission for your GP to provide information from your medical records about any positive HIV test result. These days, you should not be asked if you have ever had an HIV test and tested negative.
• Employment protection - a number of employers now have a policy that prevents discrimination against people because they are HIV positive. And in some cases, it is illegal to discriminate against someone with HIV.
• Visas - some countries do not allow people with HIV to enter the country, or need proof of a negative test result before they will issue a visa or work permit