HIV
HIV is a virus that weakens the immune system over time; with modern antiretroviral treatment, people with HIV live full lives with a normal life expectancy.
Symptoms
- A brief flu-like illness two to four weeks after infection: fever, sore throat, rash, swollen glands
- Often no symptoms at all for many years afterwards
- Later, without treatment: recurrent infections, weight loss, night sweats
Causes and how it spreads
HIV spreads through unprotected vaginal or anal sex, shared injecting equipment, and from mother to child during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding without treatment. It does not spread through kissing, touching, sharing cutlery or toilet seats. A person on effective treatment with an undetectable viral load cannot pass HIV on sexually.
How PVT tests for it
PVT uses fourth-generation laboratory blood tests at Lancet, which detect both HIV antibodies and the p24 antigen. These tests pick up most infections from about two to three weeks after exposure and are conclusive by 45 days. Your doctor explains the window period that applies to your situation before testing.
Treatment
HIV is highly treatable. Modern antiretroviral therapy, usually one tablet a day, suppresses the virus to undetectable levels, protects the immune system, and gives a normal life expectancy. Undetectable also means untransmittable to sexual partners. Prevention is equally strong: PrEP taken daily reduces the risk of acquiring HIV by around 99%, and PEP within 72 hours of an exposure can stop infection taking hold.
When to see a doctor
Test after any unprotected sex with a partner whose status you do not know, if a partner tests positive, if you had a flu-like illness after a risk event, or routinely if you have new or multiple partners. If a possible exposure happened within the last 72 hours, contact us immediately about PEP.
Medically reviewed by Dr D. Moodley [DOCTOR_NAME_PLACEHOLDER], HPCSA [HPCSA_NUMBER_PLACEHOLDER]. Last reviewed 1 July 2026.
Questions about HIV
Fourth-generation laboratory tests are highly accurate. They detect most infections from two to three weeks after exposure and are considered conclusive at 45 days. A negative test before 45 days is reassuring but is repeated after the window closes.
No. With modern antiretroviral treatment, a person diagnosed with HIV today can expect a normal lifespan. Treatment is usually one tablet daily, and once the virus is undetectable it also cannot be passed on to sexual partners.
It means treatment has suppressed the virus so far that standard tests cannot find it in the blood. Large studies have shown that a person with a sustained undetectable viral load does not transmit HIV sexually. Undetectable equals untransmittable.
Contact PVT or an emergency facility today. PEP, a 28-day course of medication, can prevent HIV from establishing itself, but it must start within 72 hours of exposure and works best within 24. This is one of the few genuine emergencies in sexual health.
No. Your result is protected by medical confidentiality and POPIA. It goes to you and your doctor, and to no one else without your written consent.
Book a private consult
Most patients are seen within the week at Milnerton or Table View. You can book by WhatsApp without saying why you are coming in.
R650 private doctor consult, paid upfront by cash or card. It covers the assessment, test selection, explanation of your first results, and a script where clinically appropriate. Lab tests are billed separately by the blood lab (Lancet). Medical aid is optional: you claim back yourself if you have it.