HIV AND AIDS

DEFINTION

• AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• By damaging your immune system, HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight the organisms that cause disease
• HIV is a sexually transmitted infection. It can also be spread by contact with infected blood or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding.
• It can take years before HIV weakens your immune system to the point that you have AIDS.
• There's no cure for HIV/AIDS, but there are medications that can dramatically slow disease progression.

CAUSES

• Sexual contact- having unprotected sex with an infected partner
• Contact with infected blood- sharing needles and drug paraphmnalia
• Infected mothers- pregnancy/delivery, breast feeding
• Medical blood contact-blood transfusions containing infected blood, transplant of an infected organ

SYMPTOMS

• Fever
• Swollen glands
• Sore throat
• Rash
• Muscle and joint aches and pains

STAGES

• Large amounts of the viruse are being produced in your body
• Hiv reproduces at very low levels, although it id still active
• As your CD4 cells fall below 200 cells you are considered to have progressed to aids

PREVENTION'S

• Use condoms consistently and correctly
• Dont share needles or drugs

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• http://www.hhs.gov/privacy.html