HIV/AIDS Fact Sheet

The Cause

• The HIV virus is a germ that attacks certain types of white blood cells in human blood.
• This virus attacks a person's immune system and damages their ability to fight off some diseases.
• Without a functioning immune system to ward off other germs, the person is vulnerable to several infections caused by bacteria, fungi, other viruses, and malignancies. These may cause life-threatening illnesses.
• Some of the most common illnesses are pneumonia, meningitis, and tuberculosis.
• Individuals may also develop certain types of cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma, lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease, and multiple basal cell carcinomas.
• Treatment of HIV can delay damage to the immune system and progression to AIDS.

Symptoms

• Many people with HIV have no symptoms and may not realize they are infected.
• Symptoms that occur with HIV are similar to those of other viral infections. If you feel you are at risk for HIV, you should be tested, regardless of whether or not you have symptoms.

How AIDS Is Spread

• Sexual intercourse (vaginal, anal and possibly oral) with an infected person
• Blood contamination (for example, sharing needles for intravenous drug abuse)
• Mother to Child (during pregnancy, during birth, and during breast feeding)

You Do Not Get AIDS From:

• Touching, social kissing, coughing, or sneezing
• Contact with eating utensils, water fountains, toilet seats, telephones, typewriters, etc.
• Teardrops, saliva, or sweat
• Using facilities such as public swimming pools, restrooms, or gymnasiums
• Being close to other people such as on a crowded bus, in a classroom, or restaurant

Risks

• Infection results from a sexual relationship with an infected person
• People who share needles while using street drugs are at greatest risk of exposure and infections

No Known Cure
There is presently no cure for AIDS and at present no vaccine to prevent AIDS

Treatment
A number of antiviral drugs are available to treat HIV. The drugs fall into three main classes:

1. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
2. Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and
3. Protease inhibitors

These three classes of drugs attack HIV at different stages in the cell's life cycle. People with HIV are given a combination of drugs from different classes for maximum benefit.

Prevention

• Protect yourself or your partner by using a condom during sexual intercourse
• If you are a partner are at risk, avoid mouth contact with the penis, vagina, or rectum
• Avoid all sexual activities which could cause cuts or tears in the linings of the rectum, vagina, or penis
• If you have had unprotected intercourse with more than one person and/or your sexual partner has had unprotected sex with more than one person, have a blood test to see if you have been infected with the AIDS virus.
• Do not share intravenous drug equipment

See related Patient Textbooks about Internal Medicine.

See related Patient Topics AIDS, AIDS and Infections, AIDS--Living with AIDS, Immune System/AIDS, Infections, Infectious Diseases or Internal Medicine.

See related Provider Textbooks about Internal Medicine.

See related Provider Topics AIDS, AIDS and Infections, Immune System/AIDS, Infections, Infectious Diseases or Internal Medicine.

All contents copyright © 1992-2004 the Author(s) and The University of Iowa. All rights reserved.

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