Fulton County Board of Health
Multiple Atlanta-area locations — see below
Learning Lab
KNOW THE FACTS. KNOW YOUR OPTIONS.
Eight short, sourced boards covering HIV, AIDS, PrEP, PEP, ART, U=U, and testing — written for real conversations, not jargon.
Medical review status: Pending clinical review by Todd Hall / Fulton County Board of Health. Every fact links to its HIV.gov or CDC source below.
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10 Park Place Health Center
10 Park Place SE, 5th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303
Adamsville Regional Health Center
3700 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30331
College Park Regional Health Center
1920 John Wesley Avenue, College Park, GA 30337
Neighborhood Union Health Center
186 Sunset Avenue NW, Atlanta, GA 30314
LEARNING BOARD 1
HIV AND AIDS ARE NOT THE SAME THING.
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infections.
AIDS is the most advanced stage of untreated HIV. A person can have HIV without having AIDS. Today's HIV medicine can help people with HIV live long, healthy lives and prevent HIV from progressing to AIDS.
- HIV virus
- →targets immune-system cells
- →without treatment, the immune system can become badly damaged
With HIV medicine (ART):
- HIV medicine (ART)
- →reduces the amount of virus
- →protects the immune system
- →supports a long, healthy life
HIV is treatable. AIDS is not an automatic outcome.
LEARNING BOARD 2
KNOW THE FACTS. DROP THE STIGMA.
HIV can be transmitted when certain body fluids containing HIV enter another person's bloodstream
- Blood
- Semen and pre-seminal fluid
- Rectal fluids
- Vaginal fluids
- Breast milk
In the United States, the most common routes are anal or vaginal sex without an effective prevention method and sharing injection equipment.
HIV is not spread by
- Hugging or shaking hands
- Sharing food, dishes, toilets, or drinking glasses
- Air or water
- Mosquitoes or other insects
- Saliva, sweat, or tears that are not mixed with blood
- Healthy, unbroken skin
You cannot tell whether someone has HIV by looking at them.
LEARNING BOARD 3
FROM CRISIS TO PREVENTION AND POWER.
1981 marks the first official U.S. reports of what would later be called AIDS. It is not the year HIV first existed. Scientists identified the virus that causes AIDS in the years that followed.
- 1981CDC publishes the first official report describing rare infections in five previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles.
- 1982CDC uses the term AIDS for the first time.
- 1983Researchers at the Pasteur Institute report the discovery of a retrovirus linked to AIDS.
- 1985The first commercial blood test to detect HIV is licensed, allowing blood-supply screening.
- 1987FDA approves AZT, the first medication for AIDS.
- 1995–1997Combination antiretroviral therapy changes HIV treatment; AIDS deaths begin to decline substantially in the United States.
- 2012FDA approves Truvada for PrEP, allowing people without HIV to use medicine to reduce their chance of acquiring HIV.
- 2016–2022The evidence-based U=U message becomes widely affirmed: people who take HIV medicine and maintain an undetectable viral load do not transmit HIV through sex.
- 2021FDA approves the first long-acting injectable PrEP option, expanding prevention beyond daily pills.
- TodayHIV can be prevented and treated, and people with HIV who receive effective care can live long, healthy lives.
LEARNING BOARD 4
PrEP IS HIV PREVENTION YOU CONTROL.
PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. It is medicine for people without HIV that greatly reduces their chance of getting HIV through sex or injection drug use.
PrEP can be taken as pills or shots. A healthcare provider can help you choose an option, complete the needed HIV testing, and plan follow-up care.
PRE
before
EXPOSURE
possible contact with HIV
PROPHYLAXIS
medicine used to prevent infection
- A person must have an HIV test before starting PrEP.
- PrEP must be taken or received as prescribed to work.
- PrEP does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy.
- Cost and assistance programs vary — connect with the local resources on this page rather than assuming universal free care.
PrEP is prevention—not HIV treatment and not a sign that someone has HIV.
LEARNING BOARD 5
PrEP HELPS STOP HIV BEFORE IT TAKES HOLD.
- 1PrEP medicine builds protective levels in the body.
- 2If HIV enters the body, the medicine interferes with the virus's ability to make copies.
- 3This helps stop HIV from establishing a lasting infection.
- 4PrEP works best when taken or received exactly as prescribed.
This is a simplified explanation, not a medical guarantee. PrEP is not a vaccine, a cure, or 100% protection.
Different PrEP options have different schedules and times to reach maximum protection. A healthcare provider can explain the option that fits you.
LEARNING BOARD 6
THREE TOOLS. THREE DIFFERENT JOBS.
PrEP
- Before a possible exposure
- For people without HIV
- Ongoing HIV prevention medicine
PEP
- After a possible exposure
- For emergency situations
- Must be started as soon as possible and within 72 hours
ART
- For people living with HIV
- Treats HIV by reducing the amount of virus in the body
- Helps protect health and can lead to an undetectable viral load
LEARNING BOARD 7
UNDETECTABLE = UNTRANSMITTABLE.
People living with HIV who take HIV medicine as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load will not transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sex.
- HIV treatment
- →viral load becomes and stays undetectable
- →no sexual transmission of HIV
- Undetectable does not mean cured.
- Staying undetectable requires ongoing treatment and viral-load monitoring with a healthcare provider.
- People living with HIV deserve accurate information, dignity, love, and respect.
LEARNING BOARD 8
YOU CANNOT KNOW YOUR HIV STATUS FROM SYMPTOMS.
The only way to know your HIV status is to get tested. HIV tests look for different signs of HIV, and no test can detect HIV immediately after exposure.
If a possible exposure was recent, a testing provider can help you understand which test is appropriate and whether you should test again later.
- Get tested
- →understand your result
- →connect to prevention or treatment
Negative result
discuss PrEP and other prevention options if they may benefit you.
Positive result
confirm the result and connect to HIV care and treatment as soon as possible.
MYTH VS. FACT
MythHIV and AIDS are the same.
FactHIV is a virus. AIDS is the most advanced stage of untreated HIV.
MythYou can get HIV from hugging, sharing food, or using the same toilet.
FactHIV is not spread through ordinary day-to-day contact.
MythPrEP is only for one kind of person.
FactPrEP is an HIV-prevention option for adults and adolescents without HIV who may benefit from it.
MythA person with HIV will eventually transmit it to a partner.
FactA person who maintains an undetectable viral load will not transmit HIV through sex.
MythA negative test means you never need to think about HIV again.
FactTesting needs depend on exposure, timing, and ongoing prevention needs. A provider can help you make a testing plan.
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