WHAT IS HIV?
HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, damages
the body's defence systems against infection. A
person with the virus is described as “HIV positive”.
HIV exposes the infected person to a range
of different diseases, a condition known as
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
How does one get HIV?
The virus can be passed on when infected bodily
fluids get into the bloodstream of an uninfected
person. This most often happens during unprotected
sex (having sex without using a condom) when
one partner is already infected; sharing needles;
from mother to child at birth or during breastfeeding
from an infected mother. However, pregnant
women who take a single dose of antiretroviral
drugs during pregnancy reduce the risk of infecting
the unborn child.
How can people tell if they are HIV positive?
People who have HIV can look and feel healthy for
years, and can continue to live normally with a
healthy lifestyle and good nutrition. It can take 10 to
15 years or more for HIV to damage the body's
immune system. The only way of knowing is by having
a blood test to check for the virus. You cannot
identify a person who is HIV positive by looking at
them, and you cannot catch the virus through normal
personal contact or sharing utensils.
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