The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that causes HIV infection. HIV causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the most advanced stage of HIV infection.
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome:
Acquired means you can get infected with it;
Immune Deficiency means a weakness in the body’s system that fights diseases.
Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease.
AIDS is caused by a virus called the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). If you get infected with HIV, your body will try to fight the infection. It will make “antibodies,” special immune molecules the body makes to fight HIV. AIDS is the most severe stage of HIV (Stage 3).
AIDS is a set of symptoms (or syndrome) caused by the HIV virus. A person is said to have AIDS when their immune system is too weak to fight off infection, and they develop certain symptoms and illnesses (known as ‘opportunistic infections ’). This is the last stage of HIV, when the infection is very advanced, and if left untreated will lead to death.
You don’t actually “get” AIDS. You might get 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 blood, vaginal fluid, semen, and breast milk of people infected with HIV has enough of the virus in it to infect other people.
Most people get the HIV virus by:
If your positive result came from a lab test, then the confirmatory test will already have been done.
If you are HIV positive then your test centre will arrange for you to speak with a doctor. It is important that you then have a few other tests to see how strong your immune system is.
You should also be offered HIV treatment (called ART), Many people now start ART as soon as they find out they are HIV positive. ART is recommended for everyone with HIV. HIV medicines help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives and reduce the risk of HIV transmission.
Without proper and consistent treatment, people living with HIV can develop AIDS sooner. By that time, the immune system is quite damaged and has a harder time generating a response to infection and disease.
Symptoms such as fever, weakness, and weight loss may be a sign that a person’s HIV has advanced to AIDS.
AIDS is different in every infected person. A few people may die a few months after getting infected, but most live fairly normal lives for many years, A few HIV-positive people stay healthy for many years even without taking antiretroviral medications (ART).
By tests for AIDS. It is diagnosed if the results of your test show that you have:
At this time, there is no cure for AIDS, but medications are effective in fighting HIV and its complications. Treatments are designed to reduce HIV in your body, keep your immune system as healthy as possible and decrease the complications you may develop.
Most medications have side effects, which your doctor will discuss with you. Individuals respond differently to medications and side effects may vary. Our doctors, nurses and pharmacists can help you manage these side effects.
AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. It’s also called advanced HIV infection or late-stage HIV. |
AIDS is a set of symptoms and illnesses that develop when an advanced HIV infection has destroyed the immune system. |
Fewer people develop AIDS now, as more people are on treatment for HIV and staying well. |
Although there is no cure for HIV, with the right treatment and support, people living with HIV can enjoy long and healthy lives. To do this, it’s especially important to commit to taking treatment correctly.
AIDS AND OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/livingwithhiv/opportunisticinfections.html
WHAT ARE HIV AND AIDS? https://www.avert.org/about-hiv-aids/what-hiv-aids
A Comprehensive Guide to HIV and AIDS https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids#what-is-aids
What is AIDS? http://aidsinfonet.org/fact_sheets/view/101What happens if I am HIV positive?
https://i-base.info/guides/testing/what-happens-if-i-am-hiv-positive
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