AIDS is a condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The condition, known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), causes the patient to develop severe forms of infections caused by pathogens. The infected individual remains a source of the infection throughout life. The condition gradually destroys the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infections. The untreated HIV infection progresses and ends with the death of the infected individual.
Infection
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can spread through sexual contact, blood transfusions, needle sharing, from mother to child (a pregnant woman can transmit the virus to her fetus through their shared blood circulation or a nursing mother can pass it to her baby in her breast milk). People at highest risk for getting HIV include injection drug users who share needles, infants born to mothers with HIV who didn't receive therapy during pregnancy, people who have unprotected sex, especially with people who have other high-risk behaviors, are HIV-positive or have AIDS, and people who received infected blood transfusions.
Treatment
HIV is a chronic medical condition that can be treated, but not yet cured. There are effective ways to prevent complications and delay. The most effective treatment for HIV is highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), a combination of antiretroviral medicines that aims to control the amount of virus in a body. Other steps include keeping the immune system strong, taking medicines as prescribed, and monitoring CD4+ (white blood cells) counts to check the effect of the virus on the immune system.
Prevention
Health care workers who are at risk for HIV because of an accidental needlestick or other exposure to body fluids may need medicine to prevent infection. Medicine may also prevent HIV infection in a person who has been raped or was accidentally exposed to the body fluids of a person who could have HIV. In order to prevent the spreading of the virus it is important to avoid injecting illicit drugs, sharing infected needles, syringes and scissors, avoid contact with organic liquid from HIV-infected people, avoid unprotected intercourse and multiple partners.
Watch Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of National institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, discussing the history of HIV/AIDS in the U.S.
Dr Anthony S. Fauci has carried out research in immunology and infectious diseases, focusing on the mechanisms of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). He is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and he is involved with much of the AIDS research performed in the United States. He is also responsible for supervising the investigation of the disease mechanism and the development of vaccines and drug therapy.
AIDS is a condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The condition, known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), causes the patient to develop severe forms of infections caused by pathogens. The infected individual remains a source of the infection throughout life. The condition gradually destroys the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infections. The untreated HIV infection progresses and ends with the death of the infected individual.