AIDS Forum
Information About AIDS and HIV
The medical condition AIDS is a chronic and life threatening medical condition that is caused by the Human- ImmunoDeficiency-Virus. HIV damages or destroys the cells of the human immune system an HIV interferes with the human body's ability to be effective at fighting off various viruses, bacteria, and even fungi that can cause diseases in people. Humans are then much more susceptible to certain types of cancer and also people fall prey to opportunistic infection that the body would normally be able to fight off. these illnesses include pneumonia and meningitis. The actual virus and the infection itself are called HIV. The medical term acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Also called AIDS) is used to describe mean the later stages of the HIV virus infection.
FACTS ABOUT AIDS:
- HIV is not passed by casual contact such as shaking a person's hands or hugging a person that has AIDS.
- HIV is not "caught" by using a public telephone, drinking fountain, restroom, swimming pool, health club, etc..
- You cannot get HIV or AIDS from sharing a drink with someone.
- It is not possible to get HIV from being coughed or sneezed on by a person with that has HIV/AIDS.
- It is impossible to get HIV from giving blood at a blood donation center.
- You do not get HIV from mosquito bites or other insects..
How HIV and AIDS spread?
The HIV virus is spread from person to person through some of the human body's fluids.
HIV can be in:
- human blood
- man's semen
- a woman's vaginal fluids
- a woman's breast milk
- Also in some human body fluids handled by health care workers
The Human HIV virus can be passed from people to people by:
- The people having sexual interaction: (Includes vaginal, anal, or oral) with a person that has HIV
- Sharing drug needles with a drug user who has HIV can pass HIV to the other person
- A baby can get HIV from the mother during her pregnancy or birth if the mother has HIV or AIDS
- You can get get HIV from transfusions of blood infected with HIV, but this is rare in the United States
AIDS Symptoms
Aids symptoms vary and can be confused with other medical diagnoses. The only way to know if you have HIV or AIDS is to get an AIDS Test. AIDS test Information is available at http://www.hivtest.org/