Health Info & Services

• What it is
• How you get it
• Symptoms
• Testing
• Treatment
• If you don't take care of it

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that can cause acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV infections weaken the body's ability to fight disease and can cause acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) - the last stage of HIV infection.

HIV is the most dangerous sexually transmitted infection, and it affects people of all ages. It is now the fifth leading cause of death for American women and men between 25 and 44 years old. It is believed that about 40,000 Americans become infected each year. There have already been about 700,000 cases in the U.S. Like many other viruses, HIV remains in the body for life.

• Sexual contact (vaginal, oral or anal) with someone who has HIV
• Sharing contaminated needles used for injection drug use, tattoos, and piercings
• Blood to blood contact with contaminated blood
• Transfusion of contaminated blood products
• Breast milk (if mother is infected)
• Mother to fetus during pregnancy (if mother is infected)

A person infected with HIV may not have any symptoms for 10 years or more, but if tested, would be found to be HIV positive. During this asymptomatic time, a person who carries HIV may develop AIDS. But AIDS-related symptoms usually develop in 70-80% of adults and fully-developed AIDS is seen in 55-62% of adults who have tested positive for HIV.

• Unexplained, extreme fatigue
• Fever and night sweats
• Bruising easily
• Rapid weight loss
• Swelling or hardening of glands located in throat, groin or armpit
• Discolored or purplish growths on skin or inside mouth
• Long-lasting occurrences of diarrhea
• Periods of deep, dry coughing not caused by illness or smoking; shortness of breath
• Thick whitish coating of the tongue or mouth called thrush
• Severe numbness or pain in hands and feet
• Loss of motor control and reflex
• Altered state of consciousness, personality change or mental deterioration

• A blood test called the HIV antibody test is done to see if you have been infected with HIV. However, a person with HIV may not test positive for up to 6 months after being infected.
• Only a doctor can tell if you have AIDS
• AIDS is the last stage for HIV infection

There is no cure for HIV or AIDS at present. Drugs are available to help fight the spread of the infection through the body. While the treatments will not cure the disease, they may lengthen the life expectancy of some individuals. Drugs are also available to treat the illnesses that often accompany HIV infection. Knowing how far the HIV infection has advanced is important because there are some treatments that may be effective in strengthening your immune system's ability to fight other, potentially life-threatening diseases.

• HIV infections that develop into AIDS most often result in serious illness and death
• If a woman has HIV, she can pass the virus to her fetus, who can then develop AIDS
• Can spread HIV to sexual and needle-sharing partners

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Adapted from PPFA (www.plannedparenthood.org) and Planned Parenthood Golden Gate (www.ppgg.org)