Glossary

SC (sub-cutaneous) – under the skin. See IV (intravenous) and IM (intra-muscular).

mg (milligram) – abbreviation for milligram. 1000 milligrams = 1 gram.

STARHS – this is a type of HIV test that can indicate whether you are likely to have been infected within the last six months. STARHS stands for Serological Testing Algorithm for Recent HIV Seroconversion. In the UK this test is now called RITA (Recent Infection Treatment Algorithm).

maternal-foetal microtransfusions are when small amounts of infected blood from the mother leak from the placenta to the baby during labour (or other disruption of the placenta).

HIV PCR DNA test – a test that looks for HIV DNA (called integrated HIV) in blood. This is similar to viral load test which usually test for HIV RNA.