Stay Safe I Sex & Drugs I BVVs

Sometimes there are signs similar to the flu up to three weeks after becoming infected. Not all people get these symptoms. Sometimes people start getting illnesses two to seven years after they first get infected. It may take up to three months for HIV to show in a blood test after infection.

• You have vaginal or anal sex without a condom.
• You share syringes, needles or any injecting equipment including tourniquets, tables or other surfaces, and when there is blood on hands and fingers and in the drug mix (even when the amount of blood is too little to see).
• You get a tattoo or piercing with equipment that hasn’t been sterilised in an autoclave.
• You share body jewellery.
• You get a tattoo painted with ink from an inkpot used to tattoo someone else.

Some years after HIV infection, a person’s immune system can become so weak that it can no longer fight even common illnesses.

There’s no cure for HIV/AIDS, but the symptoms can be helped and the virus can be slowed down by using medication. There are also social support services which help with emotional and social aspects of living with HIV/AIDS.

Darker urine and pale faeces, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), fever and extreme tiredness or stomach pains and vomiting.

• You have anal or vaginal sex without a condom.
• You share syringes, needles or any injecting equipment including tourniquets, tables or other surfaces, and when there is blood on hands and fingers (even when the amount of blood is too little to see).
• You get a tattoo or piercing with equipment that hasn’t been sterilised in an autoclave.
• You get a tattoo painted with ink from an inkpot used to tattoo someone else.
• You share body jewellery 
• You share personal hygiene equipment eg. toothbrush, dental floss, razors, nail clippers.

Most adults recover completely. The signs and symptoms will disappear, though hepatitis B is
rarely completely cured.

Some people become carriers and can develop serious liver diseases, including liver cancer. These people can also infect other people, even if they feel ok.

A vaccine is available to prevent Hepatits B.

Treatment aims to stop the hepatitis B virus from multiplying as much as possible.

This decreases the risk of serious liver disease developing later in life and makes it possible for the liver to repair some of the damage and to work better. It is very rare that any of these medications will cure hepatitis B infection.

Most people who are infected will have no symptoms at first, however, some may get yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), flu-like symptoms soon after becoming infected, tiredness, pain in the abdomen, nausea (feeling sick or queasy) or dark urine and pale faeces. Sometimes symptoms can take years to develop.

• You have anal or vaginal sex without a condom if blood is present.
• You share syringes, needles or any injecting equipment including tourniquet, tables or other surfaces, and when there is blood on hands and fingers (even when the amount of blood is too little to see).
• You get a tattoo or piercing with equipment that hasn’t been sterilised in an autoclave.
• You get a tattoo painted with ink from an inkpot used to tattoo someone else.
• You share body jewellery
  You share personal hygiene equipment, eg. toothbrush dental floss, razors, nail clippers.
  
  

• About 20% of people clear the virus.
• The other 80% develop longterm or chronic hepatitis C.

Treatment is available which cures between 50-80% of people.

There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.