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What Is AIDS?

AIDS is short for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. It isn't a disease itself; rather it is a condition or syndrome in a person's body that has been weakened by the HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV is found in blood and sexual fluids and spread mainly through unprotected sexual contact and the sharing of IV drugs.

The problem is immunodeficiency. When a person becomes infected with HIV, it damages their immune system making it "deficient" and unable to protect them. Their immune system is no longer able to effectively fight off the many germs and pathogens that a normal person comes in contact with and does not get sick.

A person infected with HIV becomes ill from diseases that normally do not affect someone without HIV. When we see someone with one of these diseases, we know HIV is probably responsible, and the person may be diagnosed with AIDS.

It can take HIV many years to damage someone's immune system enough to make them vulnerable to diseases called opportunistic infections, OIs. These infections take the "opportunity" to invade because the immune system cannot fight them off. This happens as HIV slowly, but surely, invades a specific immune cell(the CD4 T-cell) and uses it's genetic material to reproduce itself, which then in turn kills the CD4 T-cell. The immune system gets weaker as CD4 T-cells die and the amount of HIV in the body increases.

The HIV infected person may not have any symptoms of disease during this time. This is called the "asymptomatic period." It can last up to 10 years for some people. During this time the person's CD4 T-cell count is watched closely to guide treatment. Once it goes below 200, the person is diagnosed with AIDS. There is no cure for AIDS, however there are now treatments to control it.

The Worldwide Pandemic

The first AIDS case was documented in 1981 and HIV has been identified on every continent in the world. Over 22 million people have died worldwide, and the epidemic continues to spread. Sub-Saharan Africa is where the greatest number of people are infected. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations UNAIDS office estimate over 33% of adults are infected in some areas of Africa. Millions of children have been orphaned. The epidemic is now growing rapidly in Eastern Europe and Asia. AIDS has become the most devastating disease known to mankind.

In the United States and the developed world, the use of combination treatments has turned AIDS into a chronic disease. People now live long lives with HIV when they work closely with their health care providers and are committed to their treatment plans. Unfortunately, AIDS medications are expensive and unavailable to the majority of people in the world living with AIDS.

There are also growing concerns that some high risk groups believe they do not have to be worried about HIV anymore. This is wrong and infection rates in the United States are beginning to rise. The fact that people now live longer with HIV doesn't change the fact that HIV can infect anyone who exchanges infected blood or sexual fluids with another person.

What Causes It?

HIV lives in human blood and sexual fluids (semen and vaginal secretions). The infection is spread from person to person when these body fluids are shared, usually during vaginal or anal sexual contact and when using IV drugs. HIV does not live in saliva, tears, urine or perspiration. It can be spread through oral sex, however the risk is small.

HIV cannot survive for long outside the human body and dies quickly when the fluid it is in dries up. It is not spread by any other animal or insect and is not found on public surfaces. It's actually not as easy to get as other infectious diseases.

A mother can pass HIV to her child during birth when the child is exposed to the mother's infected blood. Breastfeeding does carry a risk for HIV infection, however in some areas of the world breastfeeding is considered safer than feeding a newborn contaminated water.

There are two main types of HIV. They are called HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-2 is rarely found outside Africa and parts of Asia, so there is no need to specifically test for it unless a person has had contact with someone who is from an area of the world where HIV-2 is common.

Some people believe HIV is not the cause of AIDS. They have other theories which are not supported by scientific evidence. All of the world's scientists working in the field of AIDS agree HIV is the cause of the syndrome.

Dirty needles used for tattoos and piercing can spread HIV. It's smart to be sure needles are used only once before disposal.

Blood transfusions were once a concern, however all blood products used in the United States today are tested for several infectious diseases, including HIV. If anything is found the person is notified to be retested by their health care provider and is not permitted to continue donating blood.