About 1 million people in the United States are currently infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Most are between 25 and 49 years of age and appear healthy today. By the end of 1991, just over 200,000 people had been diagnosed with AIDS and 130,000 of them had died. Many of the people who are infected with HIV today did not believe they were at risk.
HIV is serious, HIV is deadly, HIV will be with us for a long time. You don't get HIV if you follow some simple rules of prevention. This brochure gives you important information about HIV infection, including AIDS, that will help you and those you love learn to protect yourselves.
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS, Aquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV is spread from one person to another through sex and blood-to-blood contact. When someone becomes infected with HIV, the virus attacks that person's immune system (the system that defends the body from illness). A person develops AIDS when his or her immune system becomes so damaged that it can no longer fight off diseases and infections. These diseases and infections can be fatal. Most people get infected with HIV by having sex or sharing needles with someone who already has the virus.
It may take up to 10 years for people who are infected with HIV to develop AIDS. They may look and feel healthy for years after becoming infected. They may not know they are infected. Even if they don't look or feel sick, they can infect others.
Some people get fevers or diarrhea. Most people get swollen glands that won't clear up. Many lose weight for no apparent reasons. This is because the virus harms the body's defenses (immune system). When people develop AIDS, they may have illnesses that healthy people would usually resist. Only a blood test can tell if someone is infected with HIV. Only a doctor can diagnose AIDS.
These are the most common ways in which HIV is spread:
Unlike many other viruses, HIV is not spread through the air or water. HIV is not spread through everyday casual contact.
Everyone needs to know about HIV and AIDS. Everyone needs to learn how to prevent HIV infection.
In the United States, every piece of equipment (needles, tubing, containers) used to draw blood is brand new. It is used only once, then destroyed. You cannot get HIV from giving blood.
All donated blood and plasma is tested for antibodies to HIV-testing becan in 1985. The tests used are over 99 percent accurate. People who are at risk of being infected with certain germs, including HIV, are not allowed to give blood. If signs of the virus are found in donated blood, the blood is destroyed. Before 1985, some people became infected with HIV through infected blood and certain blood products (used for transfusion and to treat diseases like hemophillia).
If you think you may be infected with HIV, you may want to consider taking an antibody blood test and getting counseling both before and after being tested. These blood tests look for the presence of HIV antibodies in the blood as signs of the virus. The body almost always develops antibodies to fight off viruses that enter the blood stream.
Current blood tests are over 99 percent accurate. However, it usually takes from a few weeks to a few months after a person becomes infected for enough antibodies to develop to be detected in a blood test. For this reason, if someone was infected recently, the test may not yet show that the person is infected. Contact your local public health department, AIDS service organization, Red Cross chapter, or doctor's office for more information about testing and HIV counseling.
Some medicines that are now available help to treat the symptoms of AIDS patients and allow them to live more comfortably. None of these medicines can keep a person from becoming infected with HIV. None of the treatments can cure AIDS. But people can prevent HIV infection by learning the facts and acting on them.
Whether you have sex and whether you use condoms are decisions you can make over and over again. You can choose not to have sex, even if you have had sex in the past. You can choose to use condoms even if you have not used condoms before. Use what you have learned to make decisions about sex that are good for you and for your partner.
Latex condoms can help lower your risk of HIV infection during sex, as well as your risk of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases (STD's). Latex condoms act as an effective barrier to diseases. But, condoms are not foolproof. They don't completely eliminate the risk of becoming infected because they can break, tear, or slip off. They must be put on before any genital contact. And they must be used the right way-from start to finish-every time for vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
Birth control pills and diaphragms will not protect you or your partner from HIV or other STD's.
Volunteers are always needed. They can answer AIDS hotlines and help teach others about HIV and AIDS. They can help people living with AIDS by shopping for them or bringing meals to their homes. They can help raise funds to fight this epidemic. Call your local Red Cross chapter or AIDS service organization to learn how to help.
You can't get HIV or AIDS from being a friend. Most people who are living with AIDS are often sick and under a lot of stress. They need your support and caring. Ask them how you can help.
Use what you have learned to help protect yourself. Share the facts about HIV and AIDS with your family, friends, and co-workers.
Show support and caring for people who are infected with HIV and for those who are living with AIDS. Remember you can't get AIDS from being with a friend.
Blood donations from healthy volunteers save lives. Make sure you meet donor requirements before giving blood. It is impossible for a donor to get HIV from giving blood.