HIV Stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HIV Is a virus that destroys the white blood cells of the body, these are the cells of the immune system, they fight off disease and illness.
AIDS Stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
AIDS is caused by an HIV infection. We say that someone has AIDS after HIV has severely destroyed their immune system. Because of this destroyed immune system, a person with AIDS cannot fight a variety of diseases and illness’ that they would normally be able to.
Signs that HIV may have progressed to AIDS are: Persistent diarrhoea, persistent fever, chronic cough, weight loss, severe fatigue, skin rash
Researches believe that all people that are HIV positive will eventually develop AIDS. This usually takes 7 years after being infected with HIV. But a person can be healthy for 10 years and above after being infected with HIV and show no symptoms (during this time they are likely to transmit the diseases to others).
The Facts of Infection
-Transmission can only occur if someone is exposed to blood, Semen, vaginal fluid or mother milk of an infected person.
-Heterosexual intercourse (vaginal, anal or oral)
-Mother to child transmittion during birth (although medicines now exist to prevent this).
-Breast feeding from infected mother to child
-Sharing needles
-inadequate sterilization of equipment used for piercing, tattoos or dental/medical procedures
The Myths of Infection
-HIV cannot be transmitted by
-saliva, hugging or kissing (unless someone has open sores in their mouth)
- sharing utensils, sharing the same toilet, or any basic day to day contact (The virus cannot survive in an open environment for very long)
-Mosquitoes
-By witchcraft
-As a punishment by God
-Transmission can only occur if someone is exposed to blood, Semen, vaginal fluid or mother milk of an infected person.
-Heterosexual intercourse (vaginal, anal or oral)
-Mother to child transmittion during birth (although medicines now exist to prevent this).
-Breast feeding from infected mother to child
-Sharing needles
-inadequate sterilization of equipment used for piercing, tattoos or dental/medical procedures
The Myths of Infection
-HIV cannot be transmitted by
-saliva, hugging or kissing (unless someone has open sores in their mouth)
- sharing utensils, sharing the same toilet, or any basic day to day contact (The virus cannot survive in an open environment for very long)
-Mosquitoes
-By witchcraft
-As a punishment by God
More basic facts about HIV/AIDS
-You cannot tell by looking at a person if they have HIV/AIDS.
-A person who is carrying the disease may look healthy.
-Just because a person has many diseases that are common with those infected with HIV does not necessarily mean that they have HIV/AIDS. People who are not HIV+ can suffer with these diseases.
-A simple blood test will determine if someone is HIV+ but in some cases the test is only effective if taken up to 6 months after infection (in other words sometimes it takes up to 6 months after infection for the virus to be detectable by test).
-You cannot tell by looking at a person if they have HIV/AIDS.
-A person who is carrying the disease may look healthy.
-Just because a person has many diseases that are common with those infected with HIV does not necessarily mean that they have HIV/AIDS. People who are not HIV+ can suffer with these diseases.
-A simple blood test will determine if someone is HIV+ but in some cases the test is only effective if taken up to 6 months after infection (in other words sometimes it takes up to 6 months after infection for the virus to be detectable by test).
