HIV / AIDS

What is AIDS?

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is thought to be caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV affects your body's immune system (the part that fights off infections). AIDS is the final phase of HIV, when the body can not fight disease or infection.

How can I tell if I have if I am HIV positive?

The only way to know for sure is to have a blood test. You are HIV positive if antibodies to the virus are found in your blood. It can take up to 6 months after the infection for the antibodies to show up in your blood.

Will I get sick right away?

People who are HIV-positive may look healthy for 10 years or more before they get the symptoms of AIDS.

How do get you get HIV?

HIV is spread only when blood, semen, or vaginal fluids from someone who is HIV-positive gets into someone else's body. HIV can also be spread through amniotic (fluid around the fetus) fluid.

Here are some ways you could come in contact with HIV:

• Sharing syringes and injection needles with a person who has HIV
• Having rectal entry intercourse (anal sex) with an HIV-positive person without wearing a condom. Anal sex can cause tears in the blood vessels in the rectum. This lets the virus get in the body.
• Having vaginal intercourse with a HIV-positive person without using a condom.
• Having oral sex with a HIV-positive person.
• Using a toothbrush that a person who is HIV-positive uses.
• Babies born whose mother is HIV-positive or are breastfed by a HIV positive woman have a high risk of getting HIV.

How is HIV not spread?

It is not spread by:

• Mosquitoes
• Sitting on toilet seats
• Casual contact with a HIV-positive person or someone with AIDS
• Giving blood
• Extremely low risk of getting it from blood or blood products. All blood is tested for HIV.

What are the symptoms of HIV infection and AIDS?

Early symptoms: flu-like symptoms that will not go away. Other common symptoms:

• Fast weight loss that you can not explain
• Fever (more than 10 days) and night sweats that will not go away
• Diarrhea that will not go away
• Tiredness for a long time and you do not have a reason for it
• Swollen glands in the neck, armpits, and groin
• Yeast infections
• Shortness of breath
• Purplish or discolored marks on your skin that do not go away
• Easy bruising or bleeding that you can not explain

Other symptoms that may be seen when your immune system does not work as well:

• Unusual sores on your skin or in your mouth. Patches of white in your mouth.
• More cold sores and more often
• Dry cough
• Bad numbness or pain in your hands or feet
• Change in personality, confusion
• Unusual cancers and infections

Symptoms can be different from country to country and even between risk groups.

If the CD4 cell (a kind of white blood cell that fights infection) count is less than 200 when tested then the person has AIDS.

Remember that the above symptoms are caused by several illnesses besides HIV or AIDS. If you have any of the symptoms, you do not have a good reason for them, plus your actions put you at risk, you need to see your doctor.

What can I do to prevent HIV/AIDS?

Prevention is the key! Having only one uninfected sexual partner or not having any sexual relations at all will get rid of the risk.

Here are some suggestions to reduce your risk:

• You need to talk to any new sexual partners about their past sexual behavior, and if they have ever been in contact or infected with HIV or a STD. Remember you can be infected without any symptoms. This is why you need to know if they’re past actions put them at risk.
• Use condoms when you have sex with someone new until you are sure that they do not have a STD. Have them agree that they will not have unprotected sex with anyone else while you are seeing them.
• It can take up to 6 months for HIV to be detected in the blood, so if you have any doubts about your partner, you should use a condom every time you have sexual contact. Remember: during this time both people need to avoid unprotected sexual contact. Use condoms every time you have sexual contact.
• Avoid unprotected vaginal and anal intercourse and oral sex with anyone whom has a questionable sexual history.
• Latex condoms from the start to finish of any sexual contact gives the best protection. For even better protection you can use a spermacide that contains nonoxynol-9 is applied directly into the vagina plus a condom.
• Never share needles, syringes, toothbrushes or other things that may have anyone else's blood on it. Even needles that have been boiled can still be unsafe.
• Avoid the activities mentioned above that spread HIV. Safer things to do are: closed-mouth kissing, hugging, massage and other pleasant touching.

Go to the Emergency Department RIGHT AWAY IF:

• You are raped
• You stick yourself with a dirty needle that you do not know where it came from.
• You have had sex without using a condom and the person tells you they are HIV-positive or they have AIDS.

There are medications that can be given, if you have been exposed to a high-risk situation or a known HIV-positive person. These medications should be started as soon as possible. There can be many different side effects from the medications, so you will want to be well informed first.

Go to see your doctor if you have symptoms that make you think you may have HIV infection.