What is HIV/AIDS?

Millions of people around the world are living with HIV or AIDS. According to the statistics published by UNIADS/ WHO in November 2007, 33.2 Million people are estimated to live with HIV and AIDS. Young people (under 25 years olf) account for half of all new infections worlwide. Young people and those living in countries in the Global South are most affected. But what kind of illness is AIDS? Does everyone who contracts AIDS die? What is the difference between HIV and AIDS and how can you ensure that you don’t get it?

What is HIV?
HIV is the virus that can cause AIDS. It is the abbreviation of ‘Human Immuno Deficiency Virus’. It breaks down your body’s resistance. The white blood cells, which we all have to defend ourselves against illnesses, are broken down by HIV. You cannot die from HIV itself, but if you have it then you can become critically ill from viruses and bacteria which wouldn’t normally have serious effects.

What is AIDS?
The word AIDS is used only when the immune system of someone living with HIV is so broken-down that serious infections occur. AIDS is an abbreviation of ‘Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome’. The last three words, ‘Immuno Deficiency Syndrome’ indicate that AIDS is not one disease, but a ‘syndrome’, a ‘compound of diseases’ which are caused by ‘damage to the immune system’.

Somebody with AIDS therefore always has HIV, is ‘HIV positive’. But being HIV positive doesn’t necessarily mean you have AIDS.

How do you get HIV?
There are different ways to become infected with HIV: through unprotected sex or activities which mean someone else's blood could get into your bloodstream, e.g., sharing needles whilst injecting drugs. HIV is in the blood (also menstrual blood), sperm and vaginal fluids and can therefore be transferred through sex. That’s why it’s very important to use a condom to stop HIV. HIV can also be passed from a mother to her baby.

What are the symptoms?
There is no one list of symptoms, HIV will affect individuals in different ways. Some examples are that you can become tired easily, lose a lot of weight or sweat heavily at night. You can also get skin problems, such as eczema and mouth sores. On average it takes ten years before someone with HIV contracts AIDS, but it could also take twenty years, or even only three. Once you have AIDS and it is left untreated, many illnesses can take hold relatively easily, for example pneumonia, tuberculosis, skin cancer and dementia.

Medication
Since 1997 there are medicines which ensure that you become less ill from HIV. A combination (‘a cocktail’) of drugs (anti-retroviral therapy ARVS) usually works best. Together with medication for side-effects or other illnesses, people with HIV sometimes need to take many pills a day. The side-effects can be bad but these medications mean that if they can get them, people living with HIV can now live long and relatively healthy lives. However it is important to remember that no vaccine against HIV (currently) exists and there are no drugs that cure AIDS.

Medication in developing countries
As  of December 2007, UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that 9,700,000 people in low and middle income countries were in immediate need of antiretroviral (ARV) treament for AIDS, Of these only 31% were receiving it. This is because the medicines are very expensive and the governments of these countries cannot afford to pay the drugs companies for them.

To find out more visit

http://www.condomessentialwear.co.uk/

http://www.avert.org/hivtreatment.htm

To campaign for the universal access to HIV prevention, treatment care and support visit

http://www.stopaidscampaign.org.uk/

Myths
Some people panic if they hear that someone in their vicinity has HIV. There is no need: you don’t get HIV from kissing, shaking hands or cuddling. You can use the same plates as normal, go to the same toilet or drink from each other’s glasses. You can swim in the same swimming-pool. And coughing or sneezing are not dangerous: HIV is in no way as contagious as a cold or flu.

For a handout on HIV and AIDS dowload our HIV and AIDS fact sheet.