HIV: What is it?

HIV is short for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is the virus that attacks a body’s immune system and over time people become less able to fight off illness and disease. AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. AIDS is the last stage of HIV disease. Doctors make an AIDS diagnosis based on a set of symptoms and conditions identified by the CDC.

Symptoms show up several months to several years after contact with HIV virus.

Can be in the body for years with no symptoms

Symptoms of Acute Stage (initial 3-4 months of infection) can include unexplained weight loss or tiredness, flu-like feelings that don’t go away, diarrhea, white spots in mouth and in women, yeast infections that do not go away.

Spread through four bodily fluids: Blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk. Spread during VAGINAL or ANAL sex with someone who is HIV positive; spread also by sharing of needles to inject drugs or for other reasons or any other blood to blood contact; can also be spread during ORAL sex but risk of transmission is low.

HIV/AIDS is treatable using various drug combination therapies often referred to as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapies or HAART. While some who use this therapy do very well and feel healthier, others may develop substantial side-effects and may not be able to stay on one or more of their medications. For some people the therapy simply does not work.