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Could I be in the risk group?

Ways HIV can be transmitted and how to stay safe

The HIV infection will afflict anyone, irrespective of their position in society, sexual orientation or occupation

Over the last two decades, HIV infection has stopped being an issue for minority groups alone.

HIV infection groups

2000

Drug users, homosexuals and sex workers were the main risk groups in the 1990s, and that became a stereotype. From 2000 onwards, however, the situation changed, and today in 65% of cases HIV is transmitted through heterosexual sex.

Different kinds of people, irrespective of their interests and activities, sexual preferences and the amount of money in their bank accounts, are infected with HIV

Today, the majority of new HIV cases being detected are among middle-aged people.

30-49 years of age

that’s the age group that accounts for 71% of people being identified as HIV-positive for the first time

HIV doesn’t select people according to their way of life, age or any other criteria: the epidemic has spread beyond specific groups and people who think that HIV doesn’t have anything to do with them are very much at risk, because they don’t carry out tests and don’t think about protection. Among adults there are even patients with HIV who were infected by the virus a long time ago and, luckily, found out about it, just as there are many who were infected by recent contacts."

Anton Yeremin,

infectious disease physician

The main infection pathway: unprotected sex

In order to infect a person, a sufficient quantity of HIV must come into contact with mucus. This sufficient quantity of the virus is contained in blood, sperm, pre-ejaculatory fluid, vaginal lubricants and breast milk.

7 out of 10

people are infected with HIV through unprotected sex

HIV cannot be transmitted through the air, through kissing, through touch, cutlery and crockery, the shower, the toilet or other domestic items.

You can kiss in a bar without any concerns, but when it gets to sex — use protection!

Know your HIV status in order to be safe

Even the most informed people, from time to time, have unprotected sex — they don’t have any form of protection to hand, their partner asked them to, the condom breaks or for some other reason.

Testing should be done by all at least once a year. That can form a habit, remove fear of the test, and give you some form of insurance if you were at risk but didn’t notice.

If you’ve had sex even once without a condom, you should get tested.

We recommend that you have an HIV test every year, irrespective of what risks you may or may not have taken. People who are at a high risk level should take it every half a year and those who inject drugs or have sex under the influence should take it every 3 months. If you have been at risk, then you should take the test 3 months later in order to get an accurate result. If you haven’t been tested for over a year before the incident that put you at risk took place, then you should do two tests — immediately, and again 3 months later."