HIV Resources
Straight answers about HIV, with links to trusted sources.
︵ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا ︶
“And say: My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
Qur’an 20:114
HIV is transmitted only through certain bodily fluids, namely blood, reproductive fluids and breast milk. The main routes are unprotected intimate relations with a partner who is not on effective treatment, sharing needles, and from mother to child when the mother is not receiving treatment.
It is not passed on by hugging, kissing, or sharing food or cups.
Get tested at a sexual health clinic, GP or with a home kit. If the exposure was in the
last 72 hours, go to a clinic or emergency department straight away and ask about
PEP, a 28-day medicine that can stop HIV taking hold.
With antiretroviral therapy (ART), usually a daily pill. There is no cure yet, but most
people on treatment reach an undetectable viral load within about six months and can
expect a near-normal life span.
Undetectable = Untransmittable. Large studies of couples where one partner had HIV found
no transmissions when that partner had an undetectable viral load. The HIV-negative
spouse can also take PrEP for extra protection.
Yes. With treatment during pregnancy and birth, the chance of passing HIV to a baby is
1% or less. Tell your HIV clinic early if you are planning a family.
Many people do, moving their medicine to suhoor or iftar. Speak to your HIV clinic first,
and never stop treatment to fast.