Salt Lake Valley Health Department
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STD/HIV Program
STI/HIV Prevention
(801) 534-4666
HIV Facts
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV is a retrovirus that is transmitted from person to person through intimate contact or through sharing needles.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over one million Americans are living with HIV, and 24 to 27% of these people are unaware of their HIV infection.
The Salt Lake Valley Health Department estimates that approximately 1,000 people in Salt Lake County are undiagnosed with HIV. HIV rates are currently on the rise in Salt Lake County and in the United States.
Getting Tested
The CDC recommends that all people between the ages of 18-64 years get routinely tested for HIV. There are certain behaviors that increase a person’s risk for acquiring HIV. If you have any of the following risk behaviors, it is recommended that you receive an HIV test every 3-6 months.
- Have you injected drugs or steroids and shared equipment (such as needles, syringes, works) with others?
- Have you had unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with men who have sex with men, multiple partners, or anonymous partners?
- Have you exchanged sex for drugs or money?
- Have you been diagnosed with or treated for hepatitis, tuberculosis (TB), or a sexually transmitted disease (STD), like syphilis?
- Have you had unprotected sex with someone who could answer yes to any of the above questions?
The Salt Lake Valley Health Department offers low cost HIV testing Monday- Friday. Results are available within 30 minutes. Please contact the clinic at 534-4666 for Clinic Hours and to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are accepted on a limited basis.
The difference between HIV and AIDS
Being HIV positive simply means that the virus has been detected in your blood. Once you have been diagnosed with HIV, you will always be infected with HIV. There is currently no cure for HIV.
It is important to understand the difference between having HIV, and being diagnosed with AIDS. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and is a clinical diagnosis based upon indications of an impaired immune system function. The average person takes 7-10 years to progress to AIDS after becoming infected with HIV.
Other chronic health conditions or drug use can impair the function of the immune system and can cause an HIV infected person to progress to AIDS more quickly. It is important that anyone who is infected with HIV be diagnosed as early as possible so that intervention with HIV related healthcare can be provided.
The sooner that an infected person gets diagnosed and enrolled in HIV related healthcare, the more likely they are to remain healthy.
Treatment
There is currently no cure for HIV. There are medications available that are allowing people to live longer with HIV. The medications have proven to be very effective in interfering with the replication process of the virus and in giving support to an impaired immune system so that fewer HIV positive people are progressing to AIDS. The successes of the HIV medications have greatly reduced the number of deaths due to AIDS.
The concern is that not everyone is able to be compliant with their medication regimen and it is not an effective intervention for everyone. There are also concerns about the availability of funding to provide HIV related healthcare to those infected with HIV who are uninsured or underinsured.
State and federal funding that provides coverage for HIV related healthcare and makes medications available to a great number of infected people is becoming diluted and may become less accessible in the future.