It’s not making major headlines like in the ’80s, but human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, remains a significant health concern. About 38 million people live with HIV, the pathogen that causes AIDS, according to the World Health Organization.

It’s important to get tested, said Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist Dr. Stacey Rizza, who said people should take the virus more seriously.

“I want people to know that it’s still prevalent in society,” she said.

HIV attacks and weakens the immune system. It destroys a type of white blood cell, called CD4, that protects against infections, Rizza said. She added that most people in the early phase of the disease often don’t know they have it.

“It can hide away in the body in a latent state for many, many, many years, and that’s why it’s so difficult to cure HIV,” she explained.

If you’re HIV positive and unaware of it, you can unknowingly transmit the virus to others through sexual contact or sharing needles.

Rizza said HIV prevention includes using barrier protections, like condoms, dental dams and female condoms, and using clean needles.

Screening for HIV can help detect the virus early.

“I would love for more of society to get tested for HIV and then connect those who are infected to care so we can take care of them and give them long, long, healthy lives,” Rizza said.

HIV can be diagnosed through blood or saliva testing. Tests include:

Antibody tests: Such tests look for antibodies the immune system produces in response to HIV infection.

Combination tests: These tests look for HIV antibodies and antigens (proteins produced by the virus).

Nucleic acid tests: These look for the virus’s genetic material in the blood.

Home test kits: HIV tests can be done at home using a saliva or blood sample.