There are plenty ofsexually transmitted infectionsout there.
The saving grace of infections likechlamydiaand gonorrhea is that theyre easy to get rid of with the right medication.
But of the STIs that dont yet have a cure, HIV and AIDS loom large.
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Over 1.1 million people in the United States have HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, according toAIDS.gov.
But thanks to celebration-worthy advances in medicine, HIV is far from the death sentence it used to be.
Treatment can even get the virus down to undetectable levels in peoples blood.
Here, doctors explain what you should probably know.
HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system.
Theres no immediate sign a persons developed HIV.
Often there are no indications at all.
Specifically, the HIV virus attacks a white blood cell known as the CD4 cell or T-cell.
Its a lymphocyte thats very important in protecting us against certain types of infections andcancers, Carpenter explains.
Healthy people usually have 500 to 1,600 T-cells per cubic millimeter of blood, says AIDS.gov.
Folks with HIV come from all walks of life.
Without treatment, people with AIDS usually survive foraround three years.
Once theyre infected with an opportunistic infection, life expectancy drops to a year.
Anal sexis most likely to transmit HIV.
Its namely because of the trauma, mucosal breakdown, and bleeding, Carpenter says.
While less likely, it can also be passed through vaginal sex.
And while the risk is extremely low, its also possible to pass it through oral sex.
Beyond sex, HIV can also be transmitted when injecting drugs with needles because of the blood involved.
When HIV was first discovered in the 1980s, it was a terminal illness.
In the ’90s, there were medications that were effective but difficult to tolerate.
Now, were very good at handling HIV.
HIV treatment is based on antiretroviral therapy, or ART.
Although ART is not a cure, it can bring someones viral HIV load to undetectable levels.
ART is necessary to prevent HIV from progressing to AIDS.
Next step: safe sex.
Nothing is 100 percent, but you gotta use barrier protection, Abdur-Rahman says.
Condoms,female condoms, anddental damsare all good options.
And if you have a choice in material, opt for latex or polyurethanelambskin doesnt prevent transmission of STDs.
It helps stop condoms for breaking, saysthe CDC.
(Heres more information onwhen to get tested based on your relationship status.)
Theres nothing shameful about getting tested, or talking about it.
In fact, both are important.
PrEP, as its commonly known, is a medication marketed under the name Truvada.
It can cause side effects like nausea but they usually goes away.
Abdur-Rahman has diagnosedpregnant womenwith HIV, which means they could pass it to their offspring.
Doctors may also decide on a C-section to further lower the risk.
And since HIV is transmissible via breast milk, doctors advise against breastfeeding for new moms with HIV.
It needs to be taken once or twice daily for 28 days.
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