HIV and AIDS

• HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). AIDS is the most severe stage of HIV.
• There is no cure for HIV infection. However, with increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care, people living with HIV can lead long and healthy lives.

Transmission

• The main route of transmission is the exchange of body fluids from infected people, such as blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal secretions. 
• Transmission is possible from a mother to her child during pregnancy and delivery. 
• Individuals cannot become infected through ordinary day-to-day contact such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands, or sharing personal objects, food or water. 

Most vulnerable to severe consequences

• Children
• Pregnant women
• People living with underlying conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.

Most vulnerable to contracting the disease 

• HIV can affect anyone regardless of sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, gender, age, or where they live. 
• Certain groups of people are more likely to get HIV than others because of the marginalization and criminalization of their gender identities and expression, sexual orientation, livelihoods and behaviours. HIV prevention services for those groups are unequally accessible or entirely absent in many parts of the world. These include:
  • Men who have sex with men
  • People who use injectable drugs
  • Sex workers
  • Prisoners and other incarcerated people
  • Transgender people

Symptoms

• The symptoms of HIV vary depending on the stage of infection. 
• In the first few weeks after initial infection people may experience no symptoms or an influenza-like illness including fever, headache, rash or sore throat.
• As the infection progressively weakens the immune system, they can develop other signs and symptoms, such as weight loss, fever, diarrhoea and cough. 
• Though people living with HIV tend to be most infectious in the first few months after being infected, many are unaware of their status until the later stages. 
• People with AIDS have badly damaged immune systems. They get an increasing number of severe illnesses, called opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infections include: Tuberculosis, Herpes, Salmonella, Candidiasis (thrush), etc.