HIV FAQs
Know the Facts
Understanding HIV
Human: HIV is a virus that replicates within the human body; it is transmitted from one person to another person, regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, or social status.
Immunodeficiency: HIV weakens a person’s immune system; the immune system is designed to fight disease and keep the body healthy. As the immune system weakens or becomes deficient, a person can easily become sick because the body has decreased defense against disease-causing agents.
Virus: A virus is a very small, simple organism that infects living cells. Once infected, the cell ceases its normal functions and produces more copies of the virus. HIV specifically infects and destroys CD4+ T-cells.
Understanding AIDS
Acquired: The word “acquire” means “to get”, so an individual can be diagnosed with AIDS after they are infected with HIV because they contracted the virus from another person. HIV/AIDS is not transmitted through genes; a baby can only be infected after conception.
Immune Deficiency: The disease is characterized by a weakening of the immune system; the immune system is designed to fight disease and keep the body healthy. Therefore, when the immune system is weakened a person can easily become sick because the body has no defense against disease-causing agents.
Syndrome: This refers to a collection of symptoms that occur and characterize a particular abnormality or disease.
CDC Defined AIDS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definition of AIDS includes all HIV-infected people who have less than 200 CD4+ T-cells per cubic millimeter of blood (or a CD4+ T-cell percentage of total lymphocytes of less than 14%). In addition, the definition includes 26 AIDS-defining conditions (known as opportunistic infections) that affect people with advanced HIV disease. A diagnosis of AIDS is given by a medical doctor based on specific clinical tests, including an HIV positive test result, the individual having a T-cell count of 200 or below and/or the onset of one Opportunistic Infection (OI).
- What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
- What is an Opportunistic Infection (OI)?
- Where did HIV come from?
- How is someone infected with HIV?
- Can I get HIV from casual contact with someone who is infected?
- How can someone reduce the risk of being infected with HIV?
- How does someone know if they are infected with HIV?
- What are the symptoms of HIV infection?
- Is there a cure for HIV?
- Does everyone who has HIV eventually develop AIDS?
- Where should someone begin if they want to get HIV care?
- When should someone start taking HIV treatment?
- How much does HIV care cost?
- If someone is diagnosed with AIDS, does that mean they will die soon?
- If someone is HIV positive, what else can they do to stay healthy?