HIV and AIDS
goodtoknow says: HIV is no longer a death sentence. New drugs and treatments mean that many people who are diagnosed with it can live relatively normal lives for many years. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is basically a virus which attacks the immune system. It's mainly spread by sex, needle sharing or contaminated blood transfusions. You cannot get HIV from kissing, sneezing, or sharing toilets. AIDS only develops once the virus has broken down the immune system but the outlook for people with AIDS and HIV in the UK has never been better.
For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of HIV and AIDS from patient.co.uk, read on.
HIV is a virus which is most commonly passed on by sexual contact. HIV attacks cells of the immune system. Over time (usually several years) the immune system 'weakens' so that you cannot defend the body against various bacteria, viruses and other germs. This is when AIDS develops (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Many infections and conditions can develop if you have AIDS. Since 1995 the outlook has greatly improved for people who have access to drugs that have been developed which suppress HIV.
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- What are HIV and AIDS?
- How do you become infected with HIV?
- How common is HIV?
- What are the symptoms of HIV and AIDS?
- Symptoms of AIDS?
- What tests are done?
- What is the treatment for HIV infection?
- When is treatment with antiretroviral drugs started?
- How can infection with HIV be prevented?
- What is the prognosis / outlook?



2 months
sara
I guess sophie you are wrong by saying''i carnt believe how many people die of it each day!!!!'' I won't stop the way you feel, but...people are dying for they own ignorance! and indenial, until the desease itself comes to a pick of un treatable,it takes a matter of seconds to walk in hospital for tests just like the way you and me we do when it comes to paps smear! lots of medicine have been introduced for HIV so far,its not like in the 80's or early 90's when people where dying like chickens,sorry to speak,check out what up dates of HIV medics are on medical journals, the only illness you have to worry about is 'CANCER'