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What is HIV?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome).
Where did HIV come from?
There are many theories about the origin of HIV-1 and HIV-2. The first known case was found in a blood sample collected from man from Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of Congo in 1959. Genetic analysis of this blood suggests that the origin of HIV came from a single strain of HIV-1 in the 1940s or 50s. In the U.S. the virus is known to have existed since the mid 70s. Symptoms of rare types of what are now known as opportunistic infections began manifesting themselves between 1979-1981. HIV was first isolated by scientists in 1983. The virus was at first called HTLV-III/LAV (human T-cell lymphotropic virus-type III/lymphadenopathy- associated virus) by an international scientific committee, since it was the 3rd retrovirus found after HTLV-1 and -2. This name was later changed to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
What is AIDS?
A diagnosis of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is made by a physician. An HIV-infected person may be diagnosed with AIDS if he or she meets certain clinical criteria. Criteria include becoming sick with an illness defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as an AIDS-indicator illness (illnesses that take advantage of the body's weakened immune system) and/or by taking a blood test that shows that the person's immune system is severely damaged.
What are the symptoms of HIV?
Most people infected with HIV do not know that they have become infected, because they do not feel ill immediately after infection. However, some people do experience a illness with fever, rash, joint pains and enlarged lymph nodes. If an immune reaction to HIV occurs, it usually takes place between 1 and 6 weeks after HIV infection has happened. A
person with HIV may look healthy and feel good, but they can still pass the
virus to you, especially during the initial infection period. You cannot tell
if someone has HIV by just looking at them. The only way to determine whether
HIV is present in a person’s body is by testing.
How does HIV become AIDS?
AIDS is a disease caused by HIV. HIV infects cells of the human immune system
and destroys or impairs their function. Infection with this virus leads to
slow destruction of a persons’ immune system making them more susceptible to many kinds of infections. Once a person with HIV develops any one of a number of rare infections or cancers - herpes, tuberculosis, pneumonia, candidiases or tumors – they
are said to have AIDS. This most often occurs 10-15 years after a person
becomes infected with HIV.
How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS?
According to the CDC, prior to 1996, scientists estimated that about half the people with HIV would develop AIDS within 10 years after becoming infected. This time varied greatly from person to person and depended on many factors, including a person's health status and their health-related behaviors.
Since 1996, the introduction of powerful anti-retroviral therapies has dramatically changed the progression time between HIV infection and the development of AIDS. There are also other medical treatments that can prevent or cure some of the illnesses associated with AIDS, though the treatments do not cure AIDS itself. Because of these advances in drug therapies and other medical treatments, estimates of how many people will develop AIDS and how soon are being recalculated, revised, or are currently under study.
How common are HIV and AIDS?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at the end of 2006, an estimated 1.1 million persons in the United States were living with diagnosed or undiagnosed HIV/AIDS. CDC estimates that 56,300 new infections occurred in the United States in 2006.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that, since the beginning of the epidemic, almost 60 million people worldwide have been infected with HIV and 25 million people have died of HIV-related causes. UNAIDS estimates that about 33.4 million people worldwide were living with HIV in 2008.
Who does HIV affect?
There are various risk factors that make some people more at risk for contracting HIV than others. Most people, however, run some risk of contracting HIV as they share in one or more of the following risk factors:
- Unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex
- Early age of first sexual activity–It is common for youth to engage in sexual activity
before receiving information about HIV prevention
- Heterosexual sex–Women and minorities are particularly vulnerable to HIV
infection
- Men who have Sex with Men (MSM)–Stigma and discrimination make it more difficult
for MSM to access testing and counseling services
- Sexually Transmitted Infection (STIs or STDs)–The presence of otherSTDs can
greatly increase the likelihood of HIV transmission
- Unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex
- Exchange sex for money
- Substance abuse – Chronic and intermittent substance users are more likely
to engage in high-risk behaviors while using. Injection drug users also run the
risk of being infected by HIV while sharing unclean needles.
- Poverty – Socioeconomic factors can directly and indirectly influence a person’s
vulnerability to HIV infection. For many people poverty prevents access to quality
health care.
- Out of school youth – Those that drop out of school are more likely to become
sexually active younger and less likely to use condoms and other types of contraception.
- Lack of awareness – Many people, particularly youth, don’t recognize the ways
in which they are vulnerable to HIV infection, making them more likely to behave
in ways that put them at risk.
How safe is the U.S. blood supply?
The U.S. blood supply is one of the safest in the world. Infection through blood transfusion and other blood products is rare. Since 1985, the blood supply has been ELISA tested for HIV. According to the CDC, an estimated 1 in 450,000 to 1 in 660,000 donations per year are infectious for HIV but are not detected by current antibody screening tests. In 1995, blood banks also began testing with P24 tests along with ELISA, to detect infection with HIV during this window period. As technology advances, the blood supply will become even safer.
Are you, or is someone you know, living with HIV/AIDS?
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