what is aids?

HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV)

HIV is HIV. If left untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
Unlike other viruses, the human body can not get rid of HIV completely. So once you have HIV, you will have it for life.

HIV attacks the body's immune system, particularly CD4 cells (T cells), which help fight infections of the immune system. If left untreated, HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells (T cells) in the body, making the person more likely to have infections or cancers related to the infection. Over time, HIV can destroy these cells so that the body can not fight infections and diseases. These opportunistic infections or cancers take advantage of a very weak immune system and report that the person has AIDS, the final stage of HIV infection.

No effective cure for HIV is currently, but with proper treatment and medical care, HIV can be controlled. The drug used to treat HIV is called antiretroviral therapy, or ART. If taken correctly, every day, this medication can significantly prolong the lives of many people with HIV, keep them healthy, and greatly reduce their chances of transmitting the virus to others. Today, a person who has been diagnosed with HIV, treated until the disease is very advanced, and treatment stays can live almost as long as someone does not have HIV.

The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is by getting tested. The test is relatively simple. You can ask your health care provider for an HIV test. Many medical clinics, substance abuse programs, health centers, and community hospitals offer them as well. You can also buy a home test kit at a pharmacy or online.
To find a location near you for HIV testing, use location tests and HIV care services.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection, and this is not the case for all those who have HIV.
AIDS is the stage of infection that occurs when the immune system is badly damaged and become vulnerable to opportunistic infections. When the number of CD4 cells falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (200 cells / mm3), they are considered to have progressed to AIDS. (The CD4 count of an uninfected adult or adult, which is generally healthy from 500 cells / mm 3 to 1600 cells / mm 3). You may also be diagnosed with AIDS if you have one or more opportunistic infections, regardless of your CD4 count.

Without treatment, people who are diagnosed with AIDS usually survive about 3 years. Once a person has a dangerous opportunistic illness, untreated life expectancy drops to around 1 year. People with AIDS need medical treatment to avoid death.

where does HIV come?

Scientists have identified a type of chimpanzee in central Africa as the source of HIV infection in humans. They believe that the chimpanzee version of the human immunodeficiency virus (called simian immunodeficiency virus or VIS) has been transmitted to humans and mutated for HIV when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and contact with infected blood .

Studies show that HIV may have jumped from apes to humans in the late 1800s. Over the last few decades, the virus has spread slowly through Africa and later in other parts of the world. We know that the virus has existed in the United States at least from the mid to late 1970s.