What is HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)?
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). HIV is spread by having vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom with someone who has HIV. You can also get HIV if you share drug “works” (such as needles and syringes) with someone who has HIV. HIV attacks the body’s immune system and makes it weak. A person with HIV has AIDS when his/her body’s immune system becomes too weak to fight diseases. There are medicines that can help people with HIV, but rhere is no cure for HIV or AIDS. • STD Testing • The only way to know for sure if you have an STD or HIV is to get tested. Talk to your doctor or call your local health department to find out about STD testing. • HIV Testing • Most clinics, health centers and private doctors do HIV counseling and testing. To find out where you can get free, anonymous HIV testing with same day results near you, call 1-800-541-2437.
HIV is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system and destroys or weakens their function. HIV cannot be discovered like any other illness. The symptoms do not develop immediately after the infection • Fever • Rash • Joint pains and enlarged lymph nodes There are many kinds of the HIV virus and the organism reacts to different viruses in different ways. The treatment depends on the type of the virus and for the persons infected with more than one type of virus it is harder to treat the desease. What is AIDS – Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome? AIDS is the collection of symptoms and infections associated with acquired weakness of the immune system. The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection. The majority of HIV infected people develop AIDS within 8-10 years, if they don’t get treatment. For healthy people the process can take even longer. How is HIV transmitted? HIV is to be found in body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast mil
