What is HIV?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS. A member of a group of viruses called retroviruses, HIV infects human cells and uses the energy and nutrients provided by those cells to grow and reproduce.
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is a disease in which the body's immune system breaks down and is unable to fight off infections, known as "opportunisitic infections", and other illnesses that take advantage of a weakened immune system.
When a person is infected with HIV, the virus enters the body and lives and multiplies primarily in the white blood cells. These are the immune cells that normally protect us from disease. The hallmark of HIV infection is the progressive loss of a specific type of immune cell called T-helper, or CD4, cells. As the virus grows, it damages or kills these and other cells, weakening the immune system and leaving the person vulnerable to various illnesses ranging from pneumonia to cancer. A person can receive a clinical diagnosis of AIDS, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if (s)he has tested positive for HIV and meets one or both of the following conditions:
* The presence of one or more AIDS-related infections or illnesses.
* A CD4 count that has reached or fallen below 200 cells/cubic millimeter of blood. Also called the T-cell count, the CD4 count ranges from 450 to 1200 in healthy persons.
How is HIV Transmitted?
A person who has HIV carries the virus in certain body fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. The virus can be transmitted only if such HIV-infected fluids enter the bloodstream of another person. This kind of direct entry can occur (1)through the linings of the vagina, rectum, mouth, and the opening at the tip of the penis; (2)IV injection; or (3) a break in the skin, such as a cut or a sore. Ususally, HIV is transmitted though:
* Unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who has HIV. Women are at greater risk of infection through vaginal sex than men.
* Unprotected oral sex with someone who has HIV. While there are far fewer cases of HIV transmission attributed to oral sex, oral-genital contact does pose a clear risk of HIV infection.
Are Women Especially Vunerable to HIV?
Women are at least twice as likely to contract HIV through vaginal sex with infected males than vice versa. This biological vulnerability is worsened by social and cultural factors that often undermine women's ability to avoid sex with partners who are HIV-infected or to insist on condom use. In the United States, the proportion of HIV/AIDS cases among women more than tripled from 8 percent in 1985 to 27 percent in 2004. African American and Hispanic women, who represent less than one quarter of US women, account for 80 percent of new HIV infections among American women each year.
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