AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is the most advanced stage of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is a virus that kills or damages cells of the body's immune system.

HIV most often spreads through unprotected sex with an infected person. AIDS may also spread by sharing drug needles or through contact with the blood of an infected person. Women can give it to their babies during pregnancy or childbirth.

The first signs of HIV infection may be swollen glands and flu-like symptoms. These may come and go a month or two after infection. Severe symptoms may not appear until months or years later.

A blood test can tell if you have HIV infection. Your health care provider can perform the test, or call the National AIDS hotline for a referral at (800) 342-AIDS (1-800-342-2437). There is no cure, but there are many medicines to fight both HIV infection and the infections and cancers that come with it. People can live with the disease for many years.

HIV is spread through some of the body's fluids. HIV is in:

blood
semen
vaginal fluids
breast milk
some body fluids sometimes handled by health care workers (fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord, bone joints, and around an unborn baby)

HIV is passed from one person to another by:

having sex (vaginal, anal, or oral) with a person who has HIV
sharing needles with a drug user who has HIV
during pregnancy, birth, or breast-feeding if a mother has HIV
getting transfusions of blood with HIV

Abstaining from (not having) sex is the most effective way to prevent HIV transmission. There are several ways to protect yourself or to prevent transmitting HIV during vaginal, oral, or anal sex if you choose to have sex:

Get tested for HIV and know the HIV status of yourself and your partner
Be faithful to your sexual partner
Use condoms or other latex barriers during vaginal, oral, and anal sex, and never resue condoms or latex barriers

HIV does not survive well outside of the body. Myths about HIV surviving in. There are many myths about how HIV is passed. Here are the facts:

You cannot get HIV through casual contact such as shaking hands or hugging a person with HIV/AIDS.
You cannot get HIV from using a public telephone, drinking fountain, restroom, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, or hot tub.
You cannot get HIV from sharing a drink.
You cannot get HIV from being coughed or sneezed on by a person with HIV/AIDS.
You cannot get HIV from giving blood.
You cannot get HIV from a mosquito bite.

Transmission of HIV while getting a tattoo or through a body piercing is possible, but it can be prevented through:

Single-use instruments intended to penetrate the skin being used only once, then disposed of
Reusable instruments or devices that penetrate the skin and/or contact a client's blood should be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized between clients according to medical guidelines

These guidelines are the same as those practiced within any medical facility where there is a risk of instruments coming into contact with blood.

HIV and AIDS are life threatening conditions. There is no cure yet for HIV/AIDS. The transmission of HIV occurs through three well documented means: 1) having sex (anal, vaginal, or oral) with someone infected with HIV; 2) sharing needles and syringes with someone infected with HIV; and 3) being exposed (fetus or infant) to HIV before or during birth or through breast feeding. HIV transmission can be prevented through avoiding behaviors that expose someone to the means of transmission and by taking preventive measures if identified risk behaviors occur.

What is HIV?

Answer: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that weakens the immune system and causes HIV disease and AIDS.

H - Human, because this virus can only infect human beings

I - Immuno-deficiency, because the effect of the virus is to create a deficiency, a failure in the normal function of the immune system

V - Virus, because the organism is a virus, which means one of its characteristics is that it is incapable of reproducing by itself. It needs a human cell to reproduce itself.

What is HIV Disease?

Answer: The disease caused by HIV that attacks and destroys a person's immune system until it is not able to fight off infection. Most doctors use the term "HIV disease" to cover the entire HIV spectrum or progression, from initial infection to AIDS. During the Asymptomatic HIV Disease, a person may be infected with HIV and not show any outward symptoms for up to 8-12 years. When a person begins to have severe and persistent symptoms, it is called Symptomatic HIV Disease. However any individual who is infected with HIV (that is, anyone who tests positive on the HIV antibody test) has "HIV disease."

What is AIDS?

Answer: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is the life-threatening stage of HIV disease, also called Advanced HIV Disease. It is a medical diagnosis for someone whose immune system is so damaged that certain diseases (opportunistic infections) or cancers can develop. It is identified as such because:

A - Acquired; it is an acquired condition or infection, not something transmitted or inherited through the genes.

I - Immune; it affects the body's immune system, that part of the body which is responsible for protecting the body from germs such as bacteria, fungi and viruses.

D - Deficiency; it makes the immune system deficient (does not work properly).

S - Syndrome; someone with AIDS may experience a wide range of different diseases and opportunistic infections.

What causes AIDS?

Answer: HIV is the virus that most researchers believe causes AIDS. However, some scientists remain unconvinced that HIV causes AIDS. These scientists believe that HIV can cause AIDS only in the presence of a cofactor, some other virus or condition which has not been found yet.

How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS?

Answer: Scientists have estimated that about half the people with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years after becoming infected. The time that it takes for each individual person to go through the stages/spectrum of the disease varies greatly from person to person and can depend on many factors, including a person's health status and their health-related behaviors.

These estimates were developed before powerful anti HIV drugs were developed. However, it is now known that early detection and early treatment tend to delay the onset of AIDS.

How can I tell if I'm infected with HIV?

Answer: The only way a person can find out if he/she is infected with HIV is by taking the HIV antibody test. The HIV antibody test measures the presence of antibodies to HIV in the blood. The test should be taken 3-6 months after the last time a person may have been at risk.

Health ministers around the world had a grand summit in December 1988 and as part of their united effort to increase the awareness of the people worldwide against the dreaded disease of HIV and AIDS; they decided to make December 1 of each year as the World AIDS Day.

The goal of the World AIDS Day is to get the people�s attention around the globe to be stand to the risks and challenges of the worst recorded pandemic that had hit the world.

Part of the AIDS awareness is to improve the lives of millions of people who are already afflicted with the disease.

The International AIDS day every year is also the opportunity for all organizations around the globe to highlight the important developments about HIV and AIDS. And as part of the awareness, they also update people about recent statistical numbers that has direct affect to HIV/AIDS.

As part of the awareness is the use of red ribbons. The red ribbons had started in 1991 by the Visual AIDS, a New York based organization that tasks artists to create a symbol for the increasing number of HIV in United States.

As part of AIDS global awareness, a grand summit about HIV and AIDS took place in December 1988. The summit aim is to raise the awareness of the people around the world about these life threatening diseases, HIV and AIDS.

It was during the summit that they decided to make December 1 of every year as the World AIDS Day.

The red ribbon represents the World AIDS Day. The customary wearing of red ribbons had originated since 1991 by Visual AIDS organizations that ask the artists to create a symbolism for their goal of increasing awareness of HIV or AIDS to the people.

The first goal of the World AIDS Day is to educate the people around the world about the effects and challenges of HIV and AIDS. Part of the awareness is to also help people already living with HIV or AIDS to cope with their disease.

The International AIDS Day also is the opportunity to know the most recent statistics of people inflicted of the disease as well as new promising developments for clinical trials and researches that are continuously being done.