• What
is it? HIV is the acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a virus that
attacks the body's immune system, leading to full-blown AIDS (Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome). AIDS is devastating because it leaves the body
susceptible to life-threatening infections and certain kinds of cancers.
• How
is it contracted? Through oral, anal, or vaginal sex, and from an HIV-positive
mother to her baby. To prevent it, use a condom every time you have sex; find
out the sexual history of any new partners, including their HIV status; and
don't share needles if you do intravenous drugs. If you're pregnant and are
HIV-positive, talk to your doctor about how to prevent passing the virus along
to your child.
• Incubation
Period: Some people develop symptoms shortly after being infected, but for many
it takes more than ten years for symptoms to appear.
• Symptoms:
Most symptoms of AIDS are not caused directly by HIV, but by an infection or
other condition brought on by a weakened immune system. These include severe
weight loss, fever, headache, night sweats, fatigue, severe diarrhea, shortness
of breath, and difficulty swallowing. The symptoms tend to last for weeks or
months at a time and do not go away without treatment. In some cases,
infections result in death.
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