HIV/AIDS
What is HIV?
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It attacks the body's defence system, preventing it from fighting illnesses and infection.
HIV is not passed on by shaking hands, kissing, touching or hugging, sharing cups, cutlery, crockery or towels.
HIV is not spread by sneezing or coughing or from tears or sweat.
A person does not get infected with HIV from daily contact.
How is HIV passed on?
A diagnosis of HIV affects you, your family, partner and friends. It can be passed on in the following ways:
- Unprotected sexual intercourse - vaginal, oral or anal without using a condom
- Sharing contaminated needles, syringes and 'works'
- From an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding
- From contaminated blood or blood products
HIV Testing
We have a range of services that provide free rapid HIV testing:
Service | Contact Details |
---|---|
Amy Pharmacy | 53 Park Road, Crouch End, N8 8SY Tel: 020 8348 9301 |
Beauty Chem | 11 Great Cambridge Rd, Tottenham, N17 7LH Tel: 020 8808 4015 |
Coopers Pharmacy | 59a Broad Lane, Tottenham, N15 4DJ Tel: 020 8808 0422 |
Greenlight Pharmacy | 4 Grand Parade, Haringey, N4 1JX Tel: 020 8800 1638 |
Greenwoods Pharmacy | 17 The Broadway , Wood Green, N22 6DS Tel: 020 8888 1605 |
Pharmacy Express | 214 High Road Wood Green, N22 8HH Tel: 020 8888 1669 |
Petter Pharmacy | 49/51 The Broadway, Crouch End, N8 8DT Tel: 020 8340 4772 |
Pharmocare 575 | 575-577 High Road,N17 6SB Tel: 020 8808 3291 |
Santas Pharmacy | 182 Stroud Green Road, Haringey, N4 3RN Tel: 020 7272 1591 |
Safedale Pharmacy | 491-493 Seven Sisters Road,N15 6EP Tel: 020 8800 4876 |
The Cadge Pharmacy | 105 Philip Lane, Tottenham, N15 4JR Tel: 020 8808 2740 |
Or visit the Embrace UK Community Support Centre:
- Embrace UK
Selby Centre
Selby Road
Tottenham
N17 8JL - Tel: 020 8801 9224 - Switch Board
- Tel: 080 8168 0155 - Free Phone
- Web: Embrace UK website (external link)
Under 25s can also visit our Young Peoples' Sexual health Clinics - or call 020 3317 5252 to book an appointment.
PrEP
PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is an HIV prevention method that can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body.
PrEP is prescribed to HIV-negative adults and adolescents who are at high risk for getting HIV through sex or injection drug use.
For more information go to:
- HIV basics, HIV prevention, HIV using medication to reduce risk/pre-exposure-prophylaxis (external link)
- HIV and sexual health/prep-pre-exposure-prophylaxis (external link)
Other useful organisations
- NHS information on HIV and AIDS (external link)
- Terence Higgins Trust (external link) - tel: 080 8802 1221
- Positive Rainbow Support Group at Wise Thoughts (external link). Meets at Wood Green Library every month - contact to confirm dates: tel: 020 8889 9555 | email: info@wisethoughts.org
- Avert (external link) - email: info@avert.org
- Do It London website (external link)