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What Is HIV

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What Is HIV
HIV
What is HIV/AIDS?
HIV stands for Human immunodeficiency Virus. This virus weakens a person 's ability to fight infections. During HIV infection, the virus attacks and destroys the infection-fighting CD4 cells, a type white blood cell. The loss of CD4 cells makes it difficult to fight infections, and so, one would be most susceptible to any and every illness. A person with the loss of 200 and more CD4 cells is said to have the more advanced stage of the HIV infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS. This is the stage at which all of a person’s ability to fight infections is lost.

Having HIV does not always mean that you have AIDS. It can take many years for people with the virus to develop AIDS. HIV and AIDS cannot be cured. However, with the medications available today, it is possible to have a normal lifespan with little or minimal interruption in quality of life.
How is HIV transmitted?
HIV is transmitted (spread) through the blood, semen, genital fluids, or breast milk of a person infected with the virus. The virus can enter the blood through linings in the mouth, anus, or sex organs (the penis and vagina), or through broken skin.
Anyone can get HIV if they engage in certain activities.

Common ways people get HIV
Have unprotected sex. This means vaginal or anal intercourse without a condom or oral sex without a latex barrier with a person infected with HIV.
Share needles to inject drugs or steroids with an infected person. The disease can also be transmitted by dirty needles used to make a tattoo or in body piercing.
Receive a blood transfusion from an infected person.
Are born to a mother with HIV infection. A baby can also get HIV from the breast milk of an infected woman.
A person cannot get HIV from:
Touching, shaking hands, closed mouth kissing or hugging someone who has HIV/AIDS
Public bathrooms (toilet seats), doorknobs or swimming pools
Sharing cups, utensils, or telephones with someone who has HIV/AIDS
Bug bites

Symptoms of


Bibliography: http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/hivanditstreatment_cbrochure_en.pdf http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/sexual-health-aids http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/tc/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection-prevention http://www.amfar.org/worldwide-aids-stats/ http://www.healthline.com/health/ebola-hemorrhagic-fever#Causes2 http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ebola-fever-virus-infection
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