Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
There’s no cure for HIV/AIDS, but medications can dramatically slow the progression of the disease. These drugs have reduced AIDS deaths in many developed nations.
Symptoms
Possible signs and symptoms include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and joint pain
- Rash
- Sore throat and painful mouth sores
- Swollen lymph glands, mainly on the neck
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Cough
- Night sweats
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How HIV spreads
To become infected with HIV, infected blood, semen or vaginal secretions must enter your body. This can happen in several ways:
- By having sex. You may become infected if you have vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected partner whose blood, semen or vaginal secretions enter your body.
- By sharing needles. Sharing contaminated IV drug paraphernalia (needles and syringes) puts you at high risk of HIV and other infectious diseases, such as hepatitis.
- From blood transfusions. In some cases, the virus may be transmitted through blood transfusions.
- During pregnancy or delivery or through breast-feeding. Infected mothers can pass the virus on to their babies.
How HIV doesn’t spread
You can’t become infected with HIV through ordinary contact. That means you can’t catch HIV or AIDS by hugging, kissing, dancing or shaking hands with someone who has the infection.
HIV isn’t spread through the air, water or insect bites.
Prevention
There’s no vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for AIDS. But you can protect yourself and others from infection.
To help prevent the spread of HIV:
- Use treatment as prevention (TasP). If you’re living with HIV, taking HIV medication can keep your partner from becoming infected with the virus.
- Use post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if you’ve been exposed to HIV If you think you’ve been exposed through sex, needles or in the workplace, contact your doctor or go to the emergency department.
- Use a new condom every time you have sex. Use a new condom every time you have anal or vaginal sex.
- Use a clean needle. If you use a needle to inject drugs, make sure it’s sterile and don’t share it.
- If you’re pregnant, get medical care right away. If you’re HIV-positive, you may pass the infection to your baby. But if you receive treatment during pregnancy, you can significantly cut your baby’s risk.