Basic HIV/AIDS Informations
What is HIV?
Human
The virus can only affect humans.
Immunodeficiency
Because the virus creates a deficiency with the body's immune system, causing it to fail to work properly.
Virus
Because the organism is a virus which is incapable of reproducing by itself; it must use a human cell
Human
The virus can only affect humans.
- HIV is a retrovirus that attacks our immune system and destroys it over a period of time.
- Its presence can only be detected with an HIV antibody test.
What is AIDS?
Acquired
Because HIV is not a condition passed on genetically; a person has to become infected with it.
Immune
Because the immune system's ability to fight off viruses and bacteria becomes much less effective.
Deficiency
Becaus the immune system fails to work properly.
Syndrome
Because there is a wide range of diseases and infections a person may experience.
- AIDS is a condition when a person's immune system has been destroyed by HIV so that it is unable to defend the body from opportunistic diseases.
- When HIV disease was first recognized in the early 1980s, it was called AIDS. Today, the term "HIV disease" is a more accurate description of the condition. However, AIDS still used, primarily for the purpose of counting infections and as a description for advanced-stages of HIV disease. AIDS refers to individuals who have particular "AIDS-defining" conditions such as a very low CD4 white blood cell or specific illnesses
For more information about how HIV is transmitted, click here.
HIV/AIDS information around the world
aidsmap - Information for people living and working with HIV.
Click here for more information about HIV/AIDS information around the world.
HIV 101 Presentation
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