About HIV and AIDS

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that damages the immune system and stops it from working the way it should.

If a person infected with HIV isn’t treated, the person will get life-threatening infections and other health conditions that don’t usually happen in healthy people. When this happens, the HIV infection develops into a health condition called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

In Australia, HIV and AIDS are rare in children.

How HIV spreads

HIV spreads when people exchange blood, semen, vaginal fluid, rectal fluid or breastmilk. This exchange can happen during pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, unprotected sex and needle-sharing.

Children with HIV usually get the virus from their infected mothers during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding.

You can’t get HIV from the environment, through skin-to-skin contact or by kissing. There’s no risk of your child getting HIV through everyday contact with another child or adult living with HIV – for example, in the community or at school or child care.

All Australian blood products are carefully tested, so there’s no risk of getting HIV from blood transfusions.

HIV symptoms

The earliest symptoms of HIV are very similar to other viral infections. This means these symptoms are easy to miss.

Children infected with HIV might show signs of a weakened immune system like:

• weight loss or failure to gain weight
• persistent rash
• swollen lymph nodes
• chronic diarrhoea
• chronic thrush
• prolonged fever
• frequent and very serious infections.

If a child living with HIV develops AIDS, they might get life-threatening infections and other health conditions like pneumonia, repeated serious bacterial infections and even some cancers.

Tests for HIV

HIV is diagnosed with a blood test. The blood test won’t always pick up HIV if a person has the test too soon after being exposed to HIV. This means they might need to have the test again later.

HIV treatment

At the moment, there’s no cure or vaccine for HIV.

Children and teenagers living with HIV need to take antiretroviral drugs. Antiretroviral drugs work very well to treat HIV and stop it from developing into AIDS.

Children with HIV need to:

• take their medicine every day
• keep their immunisations up to date
• get extra immunisations
• see their doctor regularly.

Living with HIV

With treatment, children and teenagers diagnosed with HIV in Australia are likely to lead long and healthy lives.

HIV is now a chronic condition like diabetes or asthma, rather than a fatal condition. But like all children, children living with HIV sometimes get sick.

If your child with HIV is unwell, you should contact your GP as soon as possible. It’s best for illnesses to be treated as early as possible.

And if your teenage child with HIV is sexually active, it’s important for them to take their HIV medicine every day to keep their HIV levels undetectable. This will stop them from passing HIV to others during vaginal or anal sex. Your child should also use condoms to protect themselves from other sexually transmitted infections.

Each state and territory has organisations that provide information and support to people living with HIV and AIDS.

Preventing HIV during pregnancy

If you’re living with HIV and want to get pregnant, it’s best to discuss your situation with a doctor. The doctor can help you develop a plan to reduce the risk of passing HIV to your child. This plan would probably involve support from a midwife or obstetrician and health professionals familiar with HIV.

If you’re pregnant and living with HIV, you can significantly reduce the risk of your baby getting HIV by taking antiretroviral medicines during pregnancy and birth. It’s also important for your baby to take antiretroviral medicines for a short period too.

In Australia formula feeding is recommended if you’re a birthing mother living with HIV. This reduces the risk of HIV being transferred to your baby through breastmilk.

Preventing HIV in the teenage years

If your teenage child doesn’t have HIV and is sexually active, they can reduce their risk of getting HIV by using condoms during vaginal or anal sex.

You can help to reduce your child’s risk by making sure your child has access to condoms and accurate information about safe sexual practices. If your child doesn’t feel comfortable talking to you, you can make sure they can get reliable advice about sexuality and sexual health from a GP or other health professional.

If your child wants to get a tattoo or body-piercing, they can reduce their risk of getting HIV by not sharing needles used for body-piercings and tattoos. You can help to reduce your child’s risk by finding them a safe and professional tattooist or piercer.

And if you’re concerned that your child is using intravenous drugs, you could start by talking to your GP, your child’s school counsellor or other school staff for resources and support options. Your child can reduce their risk by not sharing syringes.