AIDS RESEARCH CENTER
HIV knowledge starter guide

START 1 — FOUNDATIONS
Learn what HIV is, what AIDS is, how HIV affects the immune system, what CD4 cells and viral load mean, and how treatment changes the natural history of HIV.

START 2 — TRANSMISSION AND EVERYDAY CONTACT
Review the specific routes through which HIV can be transmitted and the ordinary social situations that do not transmit HIV. Context matters; a public page cannot diagnose an individual exposure.

START 3 — PREVENTION
Explore testing, PrEP, PEP, condoms and lubricants, treatment as prevention, U=U, harm reduction, sterile injection equipment, blood safety, vertical-transmission prevention and community approaches.

START 4 — TESTING
Compare laboratory antigen-antibody tests, rapid tests, antibody-only tests, nucleic-acid tests and self-testing. Learn about window periods, confirmation, false-positive and false-negative results, consent, confidentiality and linkage to care.

START 5 — TREATMENT
Understand why treatment is recommended, how antiretroviral therapy works, treatment goals, viral suppression, adherence, interactions, side effects, resistance and monitoring. Guidance is dated and jurisdiction specific.

START 6 — LIVING WELL
Explore mental and physical health, life stages, relationships, privacy, work, education, travel, rights, supportive clinicians and questions to ask a professional.

START 7 — CHECK THE EVIDENCE
Open original sources. Look for dates, population, setting, jurisdiction, limitations, conflicts, uncertainty, corrections and retractions.

Principal gateways:
- WHO: https://www.who.int/health-topics/hiv-aids
- NIH HIVinfo: https://hivinfo.nih.gov/
- NIH Clinicalinfo: https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/
- UNAIDS: https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/fact-sheet

This guide is educational and does not replace qualified medical care.