What is HIV?
HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS, or Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. HIV was first identified in 1981 but it quickly became a global epidemic. Today, about 40,000 Americans are infected with HIV annually. The virus affects the body's immune system, decreasing its ability to fight off infections. HIV is transmitted through blood, semen and vaginal fluids. The most common way to contract HIV is through unprotected sex (oral, anal or vaginal) and sharing needles with intravenous drug users. Mothers can also pass on HIV to their babies during pregnancy or labor, and through breast milk.Symptoms of HIV
One of the difficulties in preventing the spread of HIV is the late, unpredictable onset of symptoms. For some, symptoms begin within months of getting the virus, for others, years may pass before they exhibit signs of HIV. HIV symptoms include: recurrent fever, profound fatigue, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, swollen lymph glands, neurological disorders, white spots in the mouth and brightly colored splotches on the eyelids, nose or mouth.Causes of HIV and HIV Transmission
HIV is a virus, which means that it is not passed on genetically. A genetic disease is encoded in the DNA, or "hard-wired" into the genes. Genetic diseases, such as Alzheimer's, are not transmittable to others except by reproducing. A virus, while it lives in human cells, is not "hard-wired." HIV can only be passed through infected fluids (blood, seminal or vaginal fluids or breast milk).Usually, it is passed through unprotected sexual intercourse (oral, anal or vaginal) or by sharing intravenous needles. In rare cases, it has been transmitted through blood transfusion, usually prior to the FDA's HIV-testing protocols. Although there are myths about HIV being passed through other fluids like sweat, saliva and tears, there is no evidence to confirm these stories.Mothers can transmit HIV to their babies during pregnancy or labor. If the virus is untreated during pregnancy, about 25-33 percent of babies will contract HIV. Certain drugs taken during pregnancy significantly reduce the risk to the baby. In fact, with drug treatment and cesarean section delivery, there is less than a 1 percent chance that the baby will be infected. Babies can also acquire HIV from their mothers' breast milk. However, a 2007 University of California Berkeley study suggests that flash-heating breast milk (heating it in a glass jar in a pan of water over a flame) renders the virus inactive.
Medical experts agree that HIV cannot survive outside the body for long. This means that the possibility of getting HIV from a moist environment is remote enough to be considered impossible. You will not contract HIV from sharing a toilet seat, sipping from the same cup, or breathing the same air as an HIV-positive person.
HIV and Safe Sex
People who have HIV can have sex, but they are under a moral obligation to inform their partners of their HIV-positive status before engaging in sexual intercourse. Latex condoms should always be worn during intercourse to prevent the spread of the virus. There is no method for preventing the transmission of HIV during sex that is 100 percent effective.Condoms can be very effective in preventing the spread of HIV, if used correctly and consistently. Latex condoms should be used, as some research has suggested that "skin" condoms may allow the virus to pass through its pores. For people with latex allergies, polyurethane condoms are the next best choice. It should be noted that condoms are not 100 percent effective; it is still possible to contract HIV even when using latex condoms.
HIV Testing
Today there are several options for getting an HIV test. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information on finding local testing sites on its Web site, including anonymous and free organizations. Also, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a confidential HIV testing kit called Home Access. The Home Access kit provides blood collection materials (a simple finger prick), a mailing envelope and counseling resources. Home Access examines samples in a laboratory and provides very accurate results. Other kits that use a visual indictor to signal HIV infection are not FDA approved and are considered unreliable.What is the HIV Life Expectancy for Most People?
With the drug therapies available today, life expectancy for people with HIV can be more or less that of an uninfected person. This is due, in large part, to the HIV drug treatments that have been developed. The regimen called HAART, or highly active antiretroviral therapy, has a tremendous impact on lowering the amount of HIV present in the blood. On the down side, the regimen is quite expensive and demanding - some patients have to take upward of 20 pills every day. And if the drugs are discontinued, the viral load level can quickly escalate.
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HIV
http://www.aidsdrugs
Any source that says it doesent live outside body?