HIV/AIDS
What is it?
Symptoms & Effects
Screening & Treatment
Protection
More...
What is it?
This is the thing we all hear about. It is a bad disease that you definitely don't want to get. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS, which stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. When someone has AIDS, their body can't fight off diseases and infections because their immune system is not working right, which can lead to death.
Symptoms & Effects
Symptoms of AIDS include flu-like illness and extreme tiredness, unexplained rapid weight loss, persistent fevers, night sweats, diarrhea. There can also be a thick white coating on the tongue or in the throat, bruising more easily than usual and odd bleeding from any body opening. Here’s the scary part: People with HIV can go many years without having any symptoms of AIDS so it’s very important to get checked regularly if you are sexually active.
HIV and AIDS can affect anyone! It’s not just a disease for gay (homosexual) people like many people thought in the 1980’s. In fact, the group that is getting HIV faster than any other group is in OUR age group and in 2003, 74% of all people living in the United States with HIV were males. HIV is spread through infected blood, saliva, semen (or cum), vaginal fluids, or intravenous injections with needles.
You can get HIV by:
You can't get AIDS from donating blood, shaking hands, hugging, or from breathing or being near a person who has AIDS. You can not get it from drinking or eating after an infected person or by swimming in the same pool as them. HIV can not live outside of the human body!
Screening & Treatment
The only way to know if you have HIV is through a blood test that you can get through your doctor, a community clinic, the Health Department or Planned Parenthood. These tests are confidential and are quick. Some clinics do a simple mouth swab and others have a rapid screening test that can tell you the same day if you are infected. Yeah, being tested can be a scary experience, but it helps to know if you are HIV positive so you can get treatment and possibly live a longer and healthier life, and possibly save someone’s else’s life. If you are worried, getting tested can also be a great relief.
There is no known cure for AIDS right now, and the number of cases is increasing. But there are good medicines that will keep infected people feeling healthy, and can keep them alive for a very long time.
Protection
The best way to be 100% sure you don't get AIDS is to not have sex or share needles. If you are sexually active, definitely use condoms and practice safe sex. Check out safer sex and how to get a condom on right for more information.
Return to Top
More...
Symptoms & Effects
Screening & Treatment
Protection
More...
What is it?
This is the thing we all hear about. It is a bad disease that you definitely don't want to get. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS, which stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. When someone has AIDS, their body can't fight off diseases and infections because their immune system is not working right, which can lead to death.
Symptoms & Effects
Symptoms of AIDS include flu-like illness and extreme tiredness, unexplained rapid weight loss, persistent fevers, night sweats, diarrhea. There can also be a thick white coating on the tongue or in the throat, bruising more easily than usual and odd bleeding from any body opening. Here’s the scary part: People with HIV can go many years without having any symptoms of AIDS so it’s very important to get checked regularly if you are sexually active.
HIV and AIDS can affect anyone! It’s not just a disease for gay (homosexual) people like many people thought in the 1980’s. In fact, the group that is getting HIV faster than any other group is in OUR age group and in 2003, 74% of all people living in the United States with HIV were males. HIV is spread through infected blood, saliva, semen (or cum), vaginal fluids, or intravenous injections with needles.
You can get HIV by:
- Having sex (and this includes oral and anal sex) without a condom with a person who has HIV
- Sharing needles for drugs (including muscle building hormones that some guys use) with someone who has HIV
- Having sex without a condom with someone that shares needles
You can't get AIDS from donating blood, shaking hands, hugging, or from breathing or being near a person who has AIDS. You can not get it from drinking or eating after an infected person or by swimming in the same pool as them. HIV can not live outside of the human body!
Screening & Treatment
The only way to know if you have HIV is through a blood test that you can get through your doctor, a community clinic, the Health Department or Planned Parenthood. These tests are confidential and are quick. Some clinics do a simple mouth swab and others have a rapid screening test that can tell you the same day if you are infected. Yeah, being tested can be a scary experience, but it helps to know if you are HIV positive so you can get treatment and possibly live a longer and healthier life, and possibly save someone’s else’s life. If you are worried, getting tested can also be a great relief.
There is no known cure for AIDS right now, and the number of cases is increasing. But there are good medicines that will keep infected people feeling healthy, and can keep them alive for a very long time.
Protection
The best way to be 100% sure you don't get AIDS is to not have sex or share needles. If you are sexually active, definitely use condoms and practice safe sex. Check out safer sex and how to get a condom on right for more information.
Return to Top
More...