In September 2021, Victoria Roscow, a resident of Manchester, received a diagnosis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) while nine weeks pregnant. Since then, she has been using social media to encourage more women to undergo regular testing for this disease.
Discussing sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is often considered taboo, underscoring the significance of raising awareness on these topics. Victoria, aged 31, discovered she had contracted HIV during her pregnancy when routine antenatal tests revealed a positive result.
HIV is a virus that targets the immune system and, if untreated, can progress to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). While commonly associated with STDs, HIV can spread through infected body fluids entering the bloodstream, such as during vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse with an infected individual, or through sharing needles, syringes, or sex toys with someone carrying a detectable viral load.
Following her diagnosis, Victoria’s husband tested negative for HIV, leading her to conclude she had acquired the virus from a previous partner in November 2018. Shortly after, she experienced flu-like symptoms, often an initial indicator of HIV infection.
Victoria described her health ordeal, recalling a month of sickness with flu-like symptoms and swollen glands. Despite receiving antibiotics, they failed to treat the virus, highlighting the initial viral reaction as her sole symptom of HIV.
According to NHS guidelines, HIV symptoms vary among individuals, with some experiencing a brief flu-like illness two to six weeks post-infection. Common signs include a sore throat, high temperature, swollen glands, muscle pains, fatigue, and a skin rash.
After testing positive for HIV, Victoria commenced treatment to suppress the virus and prevent its transmission to others. This enabled her to lead a regular, healthy life, including giving birth to a son whom she breastfed, and who consistently tested negative for HIV.
Victoria clarified misconceptions about breastfeeding while HIV-positive, emphasizing the need to meet specific health criteria, such as maintaining undetectable viral loads, overall well-being, and avoiding cracked nipples.
Expecting her second child, Victoria, at 25 weeks pregnant, anticipates her daughter will be born without HIV due to treatment maintaining an undetectable viral load, monitored biannually.
To raise awareness and dispel misconceptions about HIV, Victoria turned to TikTok as @victoriaroscow to educate viewers about living with the condition. Her openness has helped viewers accept their diagnoses, prompting her encouragement for more individuals, particularly women, to undergo HIV testing.
Despite women accounting for a third of HIV cases in the UK, heterosexual women have seen a significant rise in new infections, mainly through heterosexual intercourse. Victoria highlighted the paradox of women not being considered high-risk groups despite more women in the UK testing positive for HIV than men.
Victoria advocates for increased STD testing, including HIV screening, emphasizing the availability of free services through NHS sexual health clinics and online self-sampling kits for convenient home testing, accessible to all individuals for STI testing and treatment.