HIV/AIDs - INA (Maori, Indigenous & Pacific Island HIV/AIDS Foundation)

What is HIV

Welcome to  ina.māori.nz!   

Whether you're new to HIV or already an expert, there is always more to know.  In fact, there's so much to learn about HIV that it can seem to overwhelm.  However, that's what we're here for.  Use this page as a starting point for learning something about HIV.  HIV is short for "human immunodeficiency virus."

How Do You Get HIV?

You can get HIV through unprotected sex or by sharing needles or other equipment used to inject drugs, or mother to child transmission via breast milk or when giving birth.  Most District Health Boards in New Zealand is now offering HIV testing for all women having a baby. If you would like to have this test, you can ask your GP or midwife for the test or when asked to say, yes to be tested.  The benefits of testing for HIV when pregnant are; if an HIV diagnosis occurs there is medication that can reduce the risk considerably of passing on the virus to the baby.  Resulting in fewer babies with born and provision for the Mother to be given the support and care, they need during the pregnancy and beyond.