HIV / AIDS

What is HIV?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). When HIV enters the body, it invades many cells and eventually destroys them. Some white blood cells that are an important part of the immune response are destroyed. Then the person can no longer fight off illness.

What is AIDS?
AIDS is a result of HIV infection. By the time people with HIV develop AIDS, the virus has damaged their immune systems. They then develop diseases that most healthy people can normally resist or control called opportunistic infections; such as certain pneumonia's, thrush or recurrences of childhood infections. They may also suffer from cancers rarely found among people with healthy bodily defenses. A person is diagnosed with AIDS, the end stage of HIV disease, when they develop an opportunistic infection or their T-Cell Count falls below 200.

How is HIV spread?

By having vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected person
By sharing needles or syringes with an infected person
During pregnancy, birth or breast feeding from an infected mother to her baby
Only four certain body fluids of an HIV-infected person can spread the virus:
- Blood
- Semen (including pre-ejaculate)
- Vaginal fluid
- Breast milk

Key Points

HIV infection can be prevented.
There is no cure for HIV/AIDS. Currently there are several drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS, however they only slow down the progression of the disease.
You cannot tell if a person is infected with HIV or not. HIV infected people usually look and feel healthy and may not even know that they are infected. Only a blood test can tell if someone is infected with HIV. It can take up to 10 years for symptoms to appear and the symptoms are like many common illnesses -- swollen glands, coughing and fever.
HIV is NOT spread by casual contact, nor does it spread through the air or in the water. For example: hugging or kissing, coughs, sneezes, sweat, tears, mosquitoes, eating food prepared or served by someone else, toilets or showers, eating utensils, drinking fountains.

Remember

It's not who you are but what you do that puts you at risk for HIV.
Use what you know to protect yourself and share that knowledge with family and friends.