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HIV & AIDS Facts
What are HIV and AIDS?HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system (the body’s defense against infection) killing your body’s “CD4 cells” or T-helper cells. These cells help your body fight off infection and disease. With this break down of the immune system, the body is more susceptible to illness. AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is the late stage of HIV infection. An HIV positive person is diagnosed with AIDS when the immune system is so weakened that it can no longer fight off illness. As a result, people are more susceptible to opportunistic infections (e.g. pneumonia and various forms of cancer). Can AIDS be cured?No, there is no known cure or vaccine for AIDS. Although anti-viral medications and health behaviors can improve the quality and length of life for some individuals with this diagnosis, these medications do no work for everyone and may cause many harmful side effects. How do I know if I have HIV/AIDS?Since people with HIV may have few to no symptoms for several years once they are infected, the only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. 1 out of 4 Americans with HIV do not know they have the virus. The Center for Disease Control has recently recommended that Americans receive routine HIV testing as part of regular preventative health. Anyone who is participating or has participated in activities that involve the exchange of HIV transmittable fluids should be tested for HIV. It is important to know your status. If you test negative, you can find out how to keep from getting infected in the future. If you test positive, you can take advantage of the advances in antiviral medications to maintain a healthy lifestyle and learn how to prevent passing HIV to others. |
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