HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus and is a virus which kills the body's 'CD4 cells.' These cells are also known as the T-helper cells. Their primary function is to help the body to fight off any infection or disease. HIV can be transmitted from one to another if someone who has the HIV infection has sex with another person or shares injection needles and drug syringes with the other person. It can be passed on from a mother to her own baby while she is pregnant, or when she is delivering the baby, or even if she is breastfeeding her baby. AIDS is the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and is a disease that you get once the HIV destroys the person's immune system. Normally, the immune system will help to fight off the illness. But when the person's immune system fails then they can become very ill and even can die.
The doctor will tell you that it is possible for anyone to get HIV. The most vital factor here is to be aware of how a person could be infected by the virus. It is possible to get the HIV virus by having unprotected sex with an infected person and one should therefore avoid sexual activities without the use of a condom. . The virus can be present in the semen, blood, saliva, vaginal secretions of an infected party and can enter the human body through and sores or open cuts on a person's skin or even in the inner lining of the rectum, penis, vagina or mouth. This virus can even be passed on while sharing needles or syringes with an infected party while using drugs or any other drug related equipment.
Blood transfusion with an infected person's blood can also result in getting the virus. Pregnant infected women can also pass on the virus to their babies during the course of the pregnancy, while delivering the baby or while breast feeding the child. The doctor will further tell you that you cannot get the HIV virus by being around a person who is infected with HIV or working with them. Similarly one cannot get it from the spit, clothes, tears, sweat, phones, drinking fountains, toilet seats or sharing their meal. Neither can it be got from insect bites or from donating blood, or from a kiss that has been given close mouthed. To protect against getting the virus, avoid sharing syringes, needles or doing any body piercings. Avoid the transmission of any sexually transmitted diseases by always using condoms or to be in a relationship that is mutually monogamous.
Submitted by M T on March 8, 2010 at 10:46