SELECT YOUR LANGUAGE

December is HIV/AIDS Awareness Month.  

​

What is HIV?
 

HIV, was first identified in 1981 as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex (sex without a condom), or through sharing injection drug equipment.  If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).  The human body cannot get rid of HIV and there is no effective HIV cure. So, once you have HIV, you have it for life.

However, by taking HIV medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART), people with HIV can live long and healthy lives and prevent transmitting HIV to their sexual partners. There are effective methods to prevent getting HIV through sex or drug use, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

​

What Is AIDS?
 

AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection that occurs when the body’s immune system is badly damaged because of the virus.  In the U.S., most people with HIV do not develop AIDS, because taking HIV medicine every day as prescribed stops the progression of the disease.
 

A person with HIV is considered to have progressed to AIDS when:

• The number of their CD4 cells falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (200 cells/mm3). (In someone with a healthy immune system, CD4 counts are between 500 and 1,600 cells/mm3.) OR
   

• They develop one or more opportunistic infections regardless of their CD4 count.
   

Without HIV medicine, people with AIDS typically survive about 3 years.  HIV medicine can still help people at this stage of HIV infection, and it can even be lifesaving. But, people who start ART soon after they get HIV experience more benefits; that’s why HIV testing is so important.
 

How Do You Know If You Have HIV?
 

The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.  You can ask your healthcare provider for an HIV test.  Many medical clinics, substance abuse programs, community health centers, and hospitals offer them too. You can also buy a home testing kit at a pharmacy or online.  Don't be afraid to get tested.
 

​

Source: Hiv.gov 

​

 

By Dietra Myers