What is Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and how is it spread?
HIV is the virus that causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). You can become infected with HIV by the exchange of blood, semen and vaginal secretions with a person infected with the virus, such as by having sex or sharing needles. Pregnant women infected with HIV can also pass the virus to their babies at birth or shortly after through their breast milk. HIV attacks our body’s immune system so that we are less able to fight off germs and diseases. What are the symptoms of HIV? On the average, for the first 7 to 10 years of HIV infection, there are no symptoms. When symptoms first appear, they will vary from person-to-person. Some of the symptoms that many people experience in early HIV disease are: night sweats, fever, extreme unexplained weight loss, persistent diarrhea, fatigue (tiredness), nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph glands, headaches, and persistent dry cough. The last stage of HIV disease is AIDS, in which many life-threatening infections can cause serious disabi
