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AIDS and HIV
a viral
disease - treatable but not curable
Human
immunodeficiency virus or HIV, is a virus that attacks
the immune system resulting in Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome, or AIDS.
This STD is caused by HIV (Human Immunodeficiency
Virus). It causes the immune system (the part of the
body that defends against disease) to not work properly.
There are usually no visible symptoms during the early
years of infection so it is not possible to tell if your
partner has HIV unless he or she has had an HIV blood
test. Also, although many people with HIV look healthy
they can still transmit HIV.
HIV can lead to death about 10 years after being
infected but there are now good treatments available.
HIV is a preventable infection. The virus is spread by
sex and by sharing drugs using needles and syringes.
You cannot get HIV/AIDS from casual contact. What this
means is that you won't get AIDS from hugging someone,
from an insect, from restaurant workers, from swimming
or from sharing a sandwich or by using public restrooms.
AIDS
& HIV:
In-Depth
You've probably heard more about HIV than any other STD.
The bottom line is that it's preventable, but not
curable. Here are some of the most common questions
surrounding AIDS and HIV.
Are AIDS and HIV the Same Thing?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that
leads to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV
damages cells in the immune system that fight off
infections and diseases. As the virus gradually destroys
these important cells, the immune system becomes less
and less able to protect against illness. HIV does not
destroy the cells rapidly, and people infected with HIV
may not show any signs or symptoms for many years. They
will look perfectly healthy and feel perfectly healthy
and may not even know they are infected unless they
undergo an HIV antibody test.
AIDS is the last stage of HIV infection. HIV gradually
destroys the part of your body that protects you against
disease and infection. Once that defense system is
weakened, your body is vulnerable to specific kinds of
infection, such as a specific type of pneumonia, certain
cancers and eye infections. Without the defense system,
your body can't fight off those infections, and often
the infections will kill you.
How Do People Get Infected with HIV?
HIV is transmitted from an infected person through
blood, seminal fluid (pre-cum), semen (cum) and vaginal
fluids. When someone else's body fluids get inside your
body, like having unprotected sex, sharing drug needles
and being exposed accidentally to blood or body fluids
(like in a medical work environment), people can become
infected with HIV. Also, an HIV-infected mother can pass
along the infection to her baby through pregnancy,
childbirth or through breast-feeding.
How Risky Is It?
Unprotected sex (penetrative sex without a latex condom)
is the primary way a person gets HIV from another
person. The sex can be vaginal, anal or oral. Using
latex condoms helps keep your partner's blood, seminal
fluid (pre-cum), semen (cum) or vaginal fluids, which
are the main body fluids that contain HIV, from getting
inside your body.
Even with oral sex, there should be some type of plastic
or latex cover or barrier (dental dams are one form)
between you and your partner to keep you from his or her
body fluids. Some people worry about getting HIV through
kissing. Dry kissing, or just kissing on the lips with
your mouth closed, is not risky. Open mouth kissing
(French kissing) is not very risky. In fact, the only
way it would be possible to get HIV is if you come into
contact with blood if the person you're kissing has
sores in her or his mouth or has bleeding gums. There
are no documented cases of anyone getting infected with
HIV through French kissing.
Need more information? Find out where to go in your area
and learn more about STDs by calling the CDC National
STD and AIDS Hotlines at 1-800-342-2437 or
1-800-227-8922. The hotlines are open 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. For information in Spanish call
1-800-344-7432, 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM Eastern Time, seven
days a week. For the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing call
1-800-243-7889, 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time,
Monday through Friday.
Some people still believe that HIV is a problem only if
you're gay and those mindsets are likely not to change.
However, this is not true. HIV is a virus that can
infect ANYONE if they have unprotected sex with an
infected person. Many people are infected with HIV,
mainly through unprotected sex or sharing drugs by
injection with an infected partner.
What About Shooting Drugs?
Another way HIV is transmitted, or passed from an
infected person to another person, is by sharing drug
needles or kits, works, cookers, cotton, or any other
drug paraphernalia that comes into contact with blood.
Sometimes people share and pass needles around as part
of the drug experience, but it's an easy way to get
infected. How? Blood often will come into the syringe
through the needle after people stick their vein or pop
their skin and inject the drug. When you share the
needle and works an d they haven't been cleaned, the
blood left in them will be injected into you when you
shoot up. This is how people get infected. And this
doesn't have to be shooting up drugs like heroin,
cocaine, speed or speedballs. It could also be
transmitted/contracted by sharing needles for shooting
up steroids that are sometimes used by athletes and body
builders to increase their muscle mass.
If
you are shooting drugs and sharing works, even if
you try this only once in a while, there is a big of
risk for HIV and other viral or blood-borne infections,
like hepatitis B or C. (Hepatitis is a serious virus
that affects your liver. The most common forms of the
virus are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Hepatitis B or C can be transmitted through sexual
contact or drug use.) If you need help to stop taking
drugs, call the National Drug and Alcohol Hotline for
help. The number is (800) 662-4357.
There is no cure for HIV. If you do not feel you can
stop at least make the promise to yourself to not share.
If you feel you must share, at least learn how to take
further precautions to avoid contracting HIV.
Cleaning your works: Making needles safe from HIV and
other STDs.
The safest way to prevent transmission of hepatitis and
HIV is not to use them or share them at all. But if you
are going to share needles to inject drugs, you need to
know how to sterilize needles between uses. Sterilizing
a needle will kill any cells or viruses on the needle,
making it safe to put into your body. You can sterilize
needles and works with household bleach (such as
Clorox).
To
sterilize needles and works:
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Get
two cups or containers and fill them with water.
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Fill the syringe with water from one container, wait
30 seconds, and discard (throw out) that container.
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Next, empty the syringe and fill the it with bleach.
Wait another 30 seconds before rinsing it out.
-
Refill the syringe with bleach another two times,
waiting at least 30 seconds before rinsing it out.
-
Using the second container, fill the syringe with
water several times and rinse it. This will get rid of
the bleach, which can be harmful to your body.
Tattoos and Body Piercing: What's the Truth?
Some people worry about getting HIV through body
piercing or tattooing. Tattoo parlors are happy to
explain what precautions they take to make sure they do
not spread any diseases carried in blood, like HIV or
hepatitis B or C. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) recommends that instruments that are
intended to penetrate the skin, like tattooing or
piercing needles, be used once, then thrown away, or
thoroughly cleaned and sterilized. Some people have
friends who do tattooing with pins, needles, writing
pens, even knives for homemade tattoos and marks. This
is not a good idea because the instruments may not be
clean and sterilized. They could pass HIV or hepatitis B
or C to you without you ever finding out. If you are
thinking about getting a tattoo or a piercing, choose a
reputable parlor or shop and let them do it safely and
cleanly.
What About Playing Sports?
If you are playing sports and someone gets hurt and
begins bleeding, the game or activity should stop until
the injured player is removed from the playing area. In
organized sports, the player is not allowed to resume
playing until the bleeding is stopped and the wound has
been securely covered with a bandage. If there is blood
on the playing surface, like a basketball court or
wrestling mat, the team trainer will put on latex gloves
and clean the area with a disinfectant. If the player
gets blood on his or her uniform, the part with the
blood must be changed before the player can re-enter the
game.
Since it is not known who is infected with HIV and who
isn't, these safety guidelines are followed to keep
everyone from contact with the injured player's blood.
There are no documented cases of HIV infection happening
this way.
Can HIV-infected Mothers Infect Their Unborn Babies?
An infected woman can transmit HIV to her unborn baby,
but she also can cut the chance of this happening by
taking special medicines while she is pregnant. But an
infected mother should not breast-feed her baby because
HIV can be passed through breast milk, and the infant
could become infected. Women now are offered HIV tests
when they go to the doctor or clinic for pregnancy tests
in case they are infected and do not know it. By knowing
if they are infected with HIV, moms-to-be can make the
best health choices for themselves and their unborn
children.
What About People Working in the Health Field?
Hospital and emergency workers, laboratory technicians
or anyone working with blood or body fluids can be at
risk of infection through accidental exposure. Have you
been to the dentist lately and had your teeth cleaned?
Chances are the dentist or dental hygienist wore gloves
on his or her hands and a visor over his or her eyes to
protect them from blood spatters. This also helped
protect you from coming into contact with blood if the
dentist or dental hygienist had a cut or sore on his or
her hand.
There are certain rules people in the health field
follow to help protect themselves and their patients
from accidental exposure. These are called universal
precautions. Universal precautions are a way to control
infection by pretending everyone's blood has HIV or
hepatitis B. Universal precautions include:
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Wearing gloves
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Cleaning surfaces that have blood on them with a
mixture of bleach and water
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Not
recapping needles
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Disposing of needles in a sharps container
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Wearing goggles
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Always sterilizing equipment
What About the Donated Blood Supply?
Before March 1985, there was no reliable test that could
screen or test the blood supply of donated blood, and
many people became infected through blood transfusions
and the use of blood products like those used by
hemophiliacs. But the blood supply in the United States
now is screened and all suspicious blood is destroyed,
so people can get blood transfusions and not worry.
Some people worry about getting infected by donating
blood, but there has never been any risk of infection by
donating. When you donate blood, a sterile disposable
needle is used to collect your blood, and then the
needle is destroyed.
How Is HIV NOT Transmitted?
HIV is not transmitted or passed through insect or
mosquito bites, or pets. The H in HIV stands for
"human," and this virus is passed through an infected
human's body fluids--blood, seminal fluid (pre-cum),
semen (cum), breast milk or vaginal fluids--to another
human. HIV is not passed through sharing food or
drinking after someone that's infected. You can hug,
kiss and touch someone with HIV and not worry about
getting infected. You can swim in public swimming pools
and not be concerned about being accidentally infected,
or use a public bathroom or telephone, or share a towel
with someone. Those are not ways HIV is transmitted. HIV
is a fragile virus that does not live long outside the
body. HIV is not spread through the air or food.
How Do You Know If You Have HIV?
Well, you can't tell just by looking, and you can't rely
on symptoms. The only way to know for sure is by testing
for it. There are special tests used to tell if the HIV
antibody is in your blood or saliva. While the HIV test
can pick up on antibodies (the special cells in your
immune system that indicate you've been infected with
HIV) in salvia, you cannot get HIV by kissing someone.
The virus is not strong enough in salvia to infect
another person. HIV is transmitted, or passed, from an
infected person through blood, seminal fluid (pre-cum),
semen (cum) and vaginal fluids only. Many places offer
an HIV test, like public health departments, hospitals,
Planned Parenthoods, community health clinics, doctors'
offices, and even student health centers on some college
campuses. If you are thinking about getting an HIV test,
choose a test site that offers pre- and post-test
counseling. This is important because there is a lot of
information to talk about before you take an HIV test.
Test counselors are specially trained people who talk
with you about why you may think you are at risk of
having HIV, and they will explain the testing procedure
to you before you take the test. When its time to get
your test results, they will talk with you some more
about the results. If it's a negative test result,
counselors will tell you what you can do to stay HIV
negative. They may talk about other STDs and will
explain how to practice safer sex, or answer any
questions you may have.
When Should You Take an HIV Test?
For the most accurate results, take an HIV test six
months after the last time you were at risk of being
infected. This would mean six months after the last time
you had unprotected sex, shared an injecting drug
needle, or got another persons blood, seminal fluid
(pre-cum), semen (cum) or vaginal fluids inside your
body.
Why Should I Wait Six Months?
It does seem like a long time, but most people will
develop antibodies, or the special cells in your immune
system that indicate you've been infected with HIV,
within six months after becoming infected. And what the
HIV antibody test looks for is a sign that your body is
producing those special antibodies.
Some people may develop them sooner than that, but to be
sure, wait six months to get tested. In the meantime, if
you are having sex, make sure to use latex condoms from
start to finish every time you have sex, and do not
share any drug needles. Remember: One negative test
result doesn't mean you will always be safe or
protected.
What Happens If Your Test Result Is Positive?
A positive test result means HIV is present in your
body. And the good news is that there are many effective
medicines now available that can help you stay healthy
for a long, long time. But, you must take care of your
health, and learn as much about HIV and staying healthy
as you can.
The CDC National STD and AIDS Hotlines can tell you
about local and national organizations that help people
with HIV find good medical care and other services they
may need.
You can reach the CDC National STD and AIDS Hotlines at
1-800-342-2437 or 1-800-227-8922. The hotlines are open
24 hours a day, seven days a week. For information in
Spanish call 1-800-344-7432, 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM Eastern
Time, seven days a week. For the Deaf and
Hard-of-Hearing call 1-800-243-7889, 10:00 AM to 10:00
PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
There is no cure for HIV, nor is there a vaccine to keep
you from getting HIV. And, even though treatments and
medicines are far better than they were 15 years ago,
AIDS is still a fatal disease. This means most people
with HIV who develop AIDS will most likely die from it.
How Do You Prevent HIV From Infecting You?
Since there is no cure, the best things to do is prevent
it from being transmitted, or passed, to you are to:
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not
have sex (be abstinent)
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not
shoot drugs
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not
share injecting drug needles
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talk with your partner or partners about why it is
important to use latex condoms during sex
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use
latex condoms the right way every time you have sex
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limit your number of sex partners
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learn to clean your works the right way if you shoot
drugs
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get
tested if you've had unprotected sex, then use latex
condoms for all sex after that
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If
you are not having sex with someone else and are not
shooting drugs, then you're probably safe. The
important thing to remember is that as long as you
keep someone else's blood, seminal fluid (pre-cum),
semen (cum) and vaginal fluids from getting inside
your body, you are safe. You know you are protected.
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If
you are sexually active, use latex condoms every time
you have sex, and use them the right way from start to
finish. Remember that HIV is passed through the body
fluids of blood, seminal fluid (pre-cum), semen (cum)
and vaginal fluids, and unprotected sex makes it very
likely that you will get one of these fluids inside
your body. Other types of birth control, like the
birth control pill or spermicides alone, will not
protect you against HIV. And latex condoms can break
if they are not used the right way. They will also
break if you use oil, lotion or petroleum jelly as a
lubricant.
Using latex condoms every time you have sex also reduces
the risk of getting other STDs besides HIV. This is
important because STD infection sometimes causes
irritation of the skin, and breaks or sores may make it
easier for HIV to enter the body during sexual contact.
Using latex condoms helps prevent your partner's body
fluids from getting inside your body, and that reduces
your risk. Limit the number of sex partners you have
since your risk of getting infected goes up with a
greater number of partners. Remember to use latex
condoms to help reduce your risk of getting an STD or
HIV. If you've been having unprotected sex, think about
getting tested for all STDs and HIV. Start using latex
condoms the right way every time you have sex to help
reduce the risk of getting an STD or HIV.
This and other HIV and
AIDS information can be found through
The American Social Health Association
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