HIV/AIDS

AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency • Diarrhea

Syndromeis a chronic, sexually • Weight loss
transmitted disease. Acquired means • Cough
that the disease is not hereditary but it • Shortness of breath
develops after birth from contact with a Primary infection (flu-like
disease-causing agent (in this case, illness) occurs 3-6 weeks after
HIV). acquiring infection in almost 50% of newly
infected people:
Immunodeficiency means that the virus • Fever
weakens the immune system, causing • Muscle soreness
the body’s inability to fight diseases. • Rash
Syndrome refers to a group of • Headache
symptoms that indicate or characterize • Sore throat
a disease. • Mouth or genital ulcers
• Swollen lymph glands, mainly on the
Cause
neck
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Joint pain
• Night sweats
• Diarrhea
Mode of Transmission
Spreads primarily by:
• Having unprotected sex with a
person who has HIV
• Having multiple sex partners or the
presence of other sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs) that can
increase the risk of infection during
sex
• Sharing needles, syringes, rinse
water, or other equipment used to
prepare illicit drugs for injection
• Being born to an infected mother
(HIV can be passed from mother to
child during pregnancy, birth, or
breastfeeding.)
Signs and Symptoms
Early symptomatic infection
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Swollen lymph nodes
Treatment
There is no cure for HIV/AIDS, but there
are medications that can slow down
the progression of the disease.
Prevention
• Have sexual intercourse only within a
longterm, mutually monogamous
relationship with an uninfected
partner.
• Use male latex condoms.
• Use clean needle.
References • Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. 2006. http://
www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/qa/definitions.ht
m • Mayo Clinic. 2012. HIV/AIDS. • World
Health Organization. 2012. HIV AIDS