In the early days, people thought it was only a gay people thing and straight people couldn't get it.

People will talk, and even if people talk, who knows they might be the carrier and yuh never know.

"Once someone takes their medication, their viral load or amount of virus in their body becomes suppressed.

"Meaning that, once people take their medication and their viral load is undetectable, they can have unprotected sex.

Within 72 hours of exposure, people can be prescribed medication for 28 days that would prevent HIV infection.

Asked if 8,000 out of 1.3 million meant HIV was rare, Edwards said, " In theory you could get away with unprotected sex, but at the same time there are people who had unprotected sex once, or had one partner, and that partner gave it to them.

"We want 95 per cent of people diagnosed with HIV to know their status, 95 per cent to be on medication and 95 per cent to have undetectable viral loads so they can't transmit the virus.

If people don't take their medication, the virus is out of control and that's when opportunistic infections step in