HIV/AIDS Basics

What Does "HIV" Mean?

HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the virus that causes AIDS

Human means it infects human beings.

Immunodeficiency means it fights your immune system and makes it weak.

Virus means it is a virus and not bacteria.

What Does "AIDS" Mean?

AIDS is an Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a set of symptoms that define a condition.

Acquired means you can get infected with it.

Immune means the body?s immune system that fights diseases.

Deficiency means the immune system is not working properly.

Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease.

• If you get infected with HIV, your body will try to fight the infection. It will make "antibodies" -- special molecules to fight HIV. Not everyone with HIV disease progresses to AIDS.


• A blood test for HIV looks for these antibodies. If you have them in your blood, it means that you have HIV infection. People who have the HIV antibodies are called "HIV-Positive."


• Being HIV-positive, or having HIV disease, is not the same as having AIDS. Many people are HIV-positive but don't get sick for many years. As HIV disease continues, it slowly wears down the immune system.


• Viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria that usually don't cause any problems can make you very sick if your immune system is damaged. These are called "opportunistic infections."

How Do You Get AIDS?

You don't actually "get" AIDS. At first you?re infected with HIV, and later you might develop AIDS. You can get infected with HIV from anyone who's infected, even if they don't look sick and even if they haven't tested HIV-positive yet.

The bodily fluids that contain the HIV virus are:

Most people get the HIV virus by:

• Having unprotected sex with an infected person; or exchanging bodily fluids infected with HIV;


• Sharing a needle (shooting drugs) with someone who's infected; using infected tattoo and body piercing needles;


• Being born when their mother is infected, or drinking the breast milk of an infected woman.


• Getting a transfusion of infected blood used to be a way people got AIDS, but now the U.S. blood supply is screened very carefully and the risk is extremely low.


• HIV is not a strong virus and does not live outside the body for any length of time.

You cannot get HIV from:

• There are no documented cases of HIV being transmitted by tears or saliva, but it is possible to be infected with HIV through oral sex or in rare cases through deep kissing, especially if you have open sores in your mouth or bleeding gums.

Who Gets HIV? Anybody can get HIV.

• HIV is a virus; once it gets into your body, it can make you sick. It does so if you are rich or poor; 14 years old or 70; male or female; black or white; gay or straight; married or single.It's what you do, not who you are, that puts you at risk for HIV.


• Approximately four million people worldwide are infected with HIV each year. Half of those infected are women. It is estimated that 1/2 of those infected with HIV are under 15 years of age.


• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 million to 1.2 million U.S. residents are living with HIV infection or AIDS; about a quarter of them do not know they have it.


• About 75% of the 40,000 new infections each year are in men, and about 25% in women. About 1/2 of the new infections are in Blacks, even though they make up only 12% of the US population.


• In the mid-1990s, AIDS was a leading cause of death. However, newer treatments have cut the AIDS death rate significantly.


• For more information, see the U.S. Government fact sheet at www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/ aidsstat.htm.

What Should I Do If I Test Positive?

• You might not know if you are infected by HIV. Many viruses have similar symptoms, which can add to the difficulty in recognizing and diagnosing the infection.

The symptoms may include:

• These symptoms can go away quickly and most people think it's the flu.

Some people have no symptoms!

• The only way you can tell if you have HIV is to get an HIV test. It may take your body two weeks to nearly six months to develop HIV antibodies that can be detected by testing.
• If you've already tested positive for HIV, then there are tests a doctor can do to see whether your HIV is progressing, and whether it's wise to start taking HIV medications.

You are now contagious!

• For most people, if HIV treatment is not started when their doctor recommends it (i.e., when their CD4 count is low or their viral load is high), eventually their immune system will weaken to the point that they may develop life-threatening health problems.


• If you're newly diagnosed, it is incredibly helpful if you seek out support. WORKING WONDERS can provide you with assistance in getting used to your new HIV status.

How can I get tested?

• Most people are tested by private physicians; at local health department facilities; special health clinics or in hospitals.


• WORKING WONDERS provides free HIV testing. We also offer a safe, private place for counseling about HIV and AIDS.


• Our counselors can answer questions about high-risk behavior and suggest ways you can protect yourself and others in the future.


• We can also help you understand the meaning of the test results and refer you to local AIDS-related resources.

How can I reduce my risk of becoming infected with HIV through sexual contact?

If you are sexually active, protect yourself against HIV by practicing safer sex.

• Whenever you have sex, use a condom (or a "dental dam" a square of latex recommended for use during oral-genital and oral-anal sex).


• When used properly and consistently, condoms are extremely effective.

- BUT REMEMBER -

• Use only latex condoms (or dental dams). Lambskin products provide minimal protection against HIV.
• Use only water-based lubricants. Latex condoms break down when combined with oil- or petroleum-based lubricants such as Vaseline® or hand lotion. (People with latex allergies can use polyethylene condoms with oil-based lubricants).
• Use protection each and every time you have sex.
• If necessary, consult a nurse, doctor, or health educator for guidance on the proper use of latex barriers.
• Oral birth control pills; patches; shots and vaginal implants (i.e. NuvaRing) do not protect you against HIV.

How can I avoid acquiring HIV from a contaminated syringe?

• If you are injecting drugs of any type, including steroids, do not share syringes or other injection equipment with anyone else.


• Disinfecting previously used needles and syringes with a bleach solution can reduce the risk of HIV transmission.


• If you are planning to have any part of your body pierced or getting a tattoo, be sure to see a qualified professional who uses sterile equipment.


• Detailed HIV prevention information for drug users who continue to inject is available from the CDC's National Prevention Information Network at 1-800-458-5321 or online at www.cdc.gov/idu.

Are women especially vulnerable to HIV?

• Yes, women are at least twice more likely to contract HIV through vaginal sex with infected males than vice versa.


• This biological vulnerability is worsened by social and cultural factors that often undermine women's ability to avoid sex with partners who are HIV-infected or to insist on condom use.


• The proportion of U.S. HIV/AIDS cases among women more than tripled from 8% in 1985 to 27% in 2004.


• African American and Hispanic women, who represent less than 1/4 of U.S. women, account for 80% of new HIV infections among American women each year.

Are young people at significant risk of HIV infection?

• Yes, at least half of the 40,000 Americans newly infected with HIV each year are under the age of 25.


• Roughly two young Americans become infected with HIV every hour of every day and many of the people now living with HIV in the U.S. became infected when they were teenagers.


• Statistics show that by the 12th grade, about 60% of American youth are sexually active, and 2/3 of sexually transmitted diseases affect people under age 25.


• Many young people also use drugs and alcohol, which can increase the likelihood that they will engage in high-risk sexual behavior.

Is There a Cure for AIDS?

• NO, there is no cure for HIV/AIDS. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can slow down the HIV virus, and slow down the damage to your immune system.


• Most people stay healthy as long as they continue ART. There is no way to "clear" HIV from the body.


• Other drugs can prevent or treat opportunistic infections (OIs). In most cases, these drugs work very well. A few OIs, however, are still very difficult to treat.

Important Facts if you?re HIV+

People living with HIV should:

• Get tested for a variety of co-infections, including Hepatitis A, B, and C.
• Get vaccinated to avoid infections, especially an annual flu shot.
• If you have less than 200 CD4 T-cells you should take medication to prevent PCP (Pneumocystis Pneumonia).
• See a medical provider regularly (even if you?re not taking HIV treatment.)
• Remember, strong HIV therapy is currently the best bet for preventing Ols and the damage and death they can cause.

For More Information

More detailed information on AIDS can be found at MedLine Plus at www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/aids.html.

References for this article include:

• www.BodyPositive.com
• www.Body.com
• AIDS InfoNet
• CA State Office of AIDS
• www.CDC.gov
• www.NIH.gov