High-risk groups for HIV infection

The HIV virus is very difficult to diagnose from symptoms alone, and it is estimated that 1 in 3 people who have the infection in the UK remain undiagnosed. There are a number of high-risk groups that could potentially catch the infection and these include:

• Men who have unprotected sex with other men,
• People who have been travelling or lived in sub-Saharan Africa,
• People who have had sex with a person who has been travelling or lived in sub-Saharan Africa,
• People who inject illegal recreational drugs,
• People who have had sex with a person who inject illegal recreational drugs,
• People who have been infected with another sexually transmitted disease, or
• People who have had a blood transfusion whilst in Africa, Southern America or Eastern Europe.

It is of the utmost importance that you have a HIV test if you are in one of these high-risk groups. The HIV test is done by taking blood and testing it for the presence of the HIV virus, but the test will only detect the presence of the virus after three months of the initial infection. It is advised that a second test be taken three months after the first one.