AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) is the last stage of HIV infection. HIV is a deadly virus that damages the body’s defense system called immunity. Human Immunodeficiency Virus targets the white blood cells and infects it thereby reducing the immune system making the body prone to any type of infection. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection and it is not true that all people with HIV would develop aids in future.
CD4+ is a type of white blood cells that is destroyed by this virus and since it is vital for preventing any infection, people with reduced CD4+ (or T cell) may get cancer or many infections that can be fatal. It might take at least 10 years for a person with HIV to develop AIDS even if he/she is not taking any treatment. More than a million people in the USA alone are diagnosed with AIDS and about 6 million people have died due to this infectious disease.
You have the chance to get HIV infection if you share any type of bodily fluids (mucus, saliva, semen, blood, vaginal fluids or breast milk) from an infected individual. The virus would enter into your blood though the soft lining of sex organs, mouth or anus or sometimes through cut or injury in the skin. Some of the common methods in which you can get HIV are by sharing needles with others and by having sex with infected person. As believed by many people, you cannot get HIV infection by sharing public toilets, by touching infected people, by kissing and hugging infected people, by sharing cups or other products of infected person or by bug bites. Unless there is transfer of body fluids from the infected person you cannot get HIV.
Facts About HIV :
- You will not develop AIDS just because you have HIV infection. It would take many many years for the virus to advance to the final stage of AIDS.
- Once you are diagnosed with HIV infection you need to start taking medications immediately.
- Even with proper medications, you have the risk of passing HIV infection to others by having sex. Hence you should have protected sex.
- At present HIV can be fully treated through proper drugs.
- You can do regular exercises to keep the virus under control.
- You can still have kids with HIV infection and stay in touch with your doctor and follow their instructions.
- You can live for many years with HIV provided you take medications daily.
Types :
Two types of HIV are being diagnosed. One is HIV 1 that causes AIDs and the second is HIV 2 that cause illness similar to AIDS.
Causes :
Having unprotected sex with infected person is the major cause of getting HIV. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection which is caused by virus called human immunodeficiency virus. Once it enters into the bloodstream it begins to destroy more number of CD4 cells thereby reducing the immunity.
Conversion of HIV infection to AIDS :