What is HIV? What is AIDS?
The virus known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) enters your bloodstream and attacks your immune system. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome – a condition or state of health that arises when HIV has killed enough of your white blood cells to cause more serious health complications

How is HIV linked to AIDS?
HIV attacks the white blood cells in our body’s immune system, which is our defense against infections and diseases.  This can weaken our immune system over time. By damaging the white blood or CD4 (also known as T4 or T-helper) cells, a person with HIV can lose the protection of their immune system and begin to experience health problems. How it affects a person’s health varies from individual to individual and many people who have been diagnosed with HIV live long and healthy lives. Someone is diagnosed with AIDS when they meet certain medical criteria.  There are treatments available now that have greatly improved the ability of people with HIV to fight the infection and live longer lives.

How do you get HIV?
HIV is spread when one person’s blood, cum, precum, vaginal fluids, menstrual blood and breast milk, enter into another person’s bloodstream.  This often happens when these fluids are absorbed through the mucous membranes of the body (ass, vagina, throat) during sex.

Who gets HIV/AIDS?
Anybody. There’s no such thing as immunity to HIV or AIDS. Unfortunately, there are no indepth studies to date about rates of HIV among trans men. However, some research has shown that trans men (straight and gay/bi/queer identified) are at risk for HIV, Hepatitis A, B, C and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

trans men and HIV/AIDS
Some of us are HIV positive. If you have tested positive or are living with AIDS remember that it is not a death sentence.  Many people live long and healthy lives being HIV positive. Make sure you consider what you need, beyond healthcare requirements, as each individual will have very different needs in terms of support, services and education. Contact you local community AIDS group for a list of doctors who specialize in HIV primary care or to find out about all the services in the community to suit your needs.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) refer to many different viruses and bacterial infections. Some of the most common include Chlamydia, Genital Herpes, Gonorrhea, HPV (genital warts), LGV and Syphilis. STIs are usually transmitted during sexual activities, like oral, frontal and anal sex. However, certain STIs, like Genital Herpes and HPV can also be transmitted by your hands if you touch an infected area and then touch your partner’s genitals, ass, and eyes. You can have an STI and not know it, so just because you don’t experience any symptoms does not mean you do not have an STI.  You should get a regular STI check up regardless of symptoms.  With genital Herpes, transmission can occur even when there is no sore or lesion present.

Symptoms for STIs can range from annoying and painful (sores, lesions, warts) to damaging to your body and life threatening (neuro-syphilis), they also put you at higher risk for HIV infection. Firstly, any STI-related sore (like warts, herpes or other lesions) offers open access for HIV to enter the bloodstream. Secondly, many STIs weaken mucous membranes, enabling HIV to enter the body directly through mucous membranes. Thirdly, cells in the immune system that target HIV are likely to be present in greater numbers at the site of an infection.

It’s also important to know that trans men with HIV need to be aware that some STIs can compromise the immune system, increase the risk of transmitting HIV, and contribute to the progression of HIV.

Talk to your doctor about how regularly you should be testing for STIs.  If you are sexually active with casual partners on a regular basis, you should consider an STI check up every 3-6 months.

Hep A, B & C   
Hepatitis A, B & C are all viruses that can result in inflammations of the liver. They are transmitted in different ways and create varying degrees of health complications, from sickness (Hepatitis A, B, C) to, in some cases, death (HCV).