What is HIV?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS. This virus may be passed
from one person to another when infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions come in
contact with an uninfected person’s broken skin or mucous membranes. In addition, infected
pregnant women can pass HIV to their baby during pregnancy or delivery, as well as through
breast-feeding. People with HIV have what is called HIV infection. Some of these people will
develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected
immune cells. The four major routes of transmission are unprotected sexual intercourse,
contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at
birth.
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
Acquired – means that the disease is not hereditary but develops after birth from contact with
a disease causing agent (in this case, HIV). Immunodeficiency – means that the disease is
characterized by a weakening of the immune system. Syndrome – refers to a group of
symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease. In the case of AIDS this can
include the development of certain infections and/or cancers, as well as a decrease in the
number of certain cells in a person’s immune system.
How Is the Virus Transmitted?
HIV lives in blood and other body fluids that contain blood or white blood cells. People have
gotten HIV through:
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unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV-infected person. This includes vaginal or anal intercourse, and oral sex on a man or woman without a condom or other barrier. Intercourse while a woman is having her period, or during outbreaks of genital sores or lesions (caused by herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases) can increase the risk of HIV transmission. |
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sharing drug injection equipment (needles and/or works); or being accidentally stuck by needles or sharp objects contaminated with infected blood. |
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infected blood used in transfusions, and infected blood products used in the treatment of certain diseases and disorders (like hemophilia). |
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pregnancy, childbirth, and/or breastfeeding, where the virus is passed from mother to child. |
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transplanted organs from infected donors. |
HIV and AIDS are not transmitted through casual contact (that is, where no blood or body
fluids are involved). HIV is what gets passed from person to person. People don't "catch
AIDS"; they "become infected with HIV."
What Does an "HIV-Positive" Test Result Mean?
A positive test result means your body has been infected by the human immunodeficiency
virus-and that you are capable of transmitting it to others. The test did not look for the actual
virus itself, but found evidence of it in your blood. There's no way to tell from this result who
gave you the virus, how long you've had it, or when it will begin to affect your health. You may
see or hear the results called "HIV-positive," "HIV+," "HIV-antibody positive," or "seropositive
for HIV." These terms all mean the same thing. People who have been infected with the
human immunodeficiency virus are said to have "HIV disease." While the virus itself is not a
disease, it progressively damages the body's immune system. This puts you at risk for
developing illnesses you wouldn't otherwise get.
At this time, doctors don't know of any way to rid the body of HIV. There is no cure. Once you've
been infected, you have it for life.
How Does HIV Harm the Body?
Viruses tend to be specialists. They zero in on a few particular types of cells in the body and
move in. The human immunodeficiency virus is best known for targeting the T cells of the
immune system. However, it can also attack cells of the brain, nervous system, digestive
system, lymphatic system, and other parts of the body.
The immune system is made up of specialized cells in the bloodstream that fight off invading
germs to keep the body healthy. The "T" cells (also referred to as "T4," "helper-T," or "CD4"
cells) are the brains of the operation. These white blood cells identify invaders and give
orders to soldier-type cells, which then battle various bacteria, viruses, cancers, fungi, and
parasites that can make a person sick.
Like all viruses, the HIV is only interested in one thing: reproducing itself. Once it has attacked
and moved into a T cell, it converts that cell into a miniature virus factory. Eventually there are
so many new viruses in the cell that the T cell explodes, scattering the HIV back into the
bloodstream. The virus then moves on to fresh T cells and repeats the process. Over time, the
HIV can destroy virtually all of an infected person's T cells in this manner.
Then What Happens?
With fewer and fewer "leaders" to rely on for warnings, the "soldier" cells become powerless.
They can no longer recognize and fight off common organisms that would not present a
problem to a healthy immune system. These organisms may be lying dormant in the body
already, or may enter from outside. The immune system's weakness gives them the
opportunity to wake up, multiply, and cause illness. Thus, we call these illnesses
"opportunistic infections." People with fully functioning immune systems are almost never
troubled by these particular infections-but those with damaged immune systems are highly
vulnerable to them.
So What's the Connection Between HIV and AIDS?
When a person with an HIV-weakened immune system comes down with one or more of
these rare opportunistic infections, or has a T cell count below 200 or 14%, that person may
be diagnosed by a doctor as having AIDS. "AIDS" stands for "Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome." The "syndrome" part means that AIDS is not a single disease but a collection of
diseases. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has put together a list of 26 "AIDS-defining
illnesses" in adults. Diagnosis of AIDS in children involves a list of slightly different ailments.
AIDS can be thought of as the most severe form of HIV disease. All but a handful of medical
experts now believe that HIV is the primary agent that leads to the development of AIDS.
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This article was provided by HIV Coalition (HIVCO).
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