HIV and children

HIV treatment

HIV and STIs

Having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) can make it much more likely that you will get HIV if you have unprotected sex. If you are HIV-positive, you are more likely to pass on HIV if you also have an STI.

Research in Australia has shown that two STIs, anal warts and anal gonorrhoea, are strongly associated with gay and bisexual men becoming HIV-infected, perhaps because of inflammation or other changes to the skin around the anus that makes transmission of HIV more likely.

It is possible to have an STI without having any symptoms, so it’s important that people who are sexually active have regular sexual health check-ups – and this is particularly important for people with HIV. Condoms, when used properly, provide good protection against getting most STIs, and are a very effective way of preventing HIV from being passed on during sex.

You can find out more about sexual health and STIs in NAM’s booklet HIV & Sex , and on www.namlife.org.

NAM’s resources highly commended by the British Medical Association

Fifteen of NAM's HIV treatment publications have received commendations in this year’s British Medical Association (BMA) Patient Information Awards. 

All ten of NAM’s new illustrated factsheets, The Basics , were highly commended in the patient information category of the BMA’s Medical Book Awards, described by the BMA’s review panel as: “An excellent set of leaflets. The design is brilliant. They cover a really good range of concerns critical to people living with HIV.” 

The Basics cover key HIV health and treatment topics and are intended to support discussions between healthcare professionals and people living with HIV. The factsheets use simple language and pictures to bring the information to life.