Question

What is AIDS? How does a person get affected by HIV?

Answer 1

The full form of AIDS is ‘Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome’ and it is caused by the virus named human immune-deficiency virus (HIV). Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier first identified the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the year 1983 while they were working at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. They originally called it lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV).

Complete answer:
HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It can spread by contact with infected blood or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, breast-feeding. Without medication, HIV weakens your immune system to the point that you have AIDS. AIDS is a condition or state of the human body where immunity gradually decreases. There's no cure for HIV and AIDS. Medications can only dramatically slow the progression of the disease. The drugs used for AIDS have reduced deaths in many developed nations. People infected by HIV develop a flu-like illness within two to four weeks after the virus enters the body. This type of illness is known as primary (acute) HIV infection, this stage may last for a few weeks. Symptoms for primary infection (Acute HIV) are as follows:
a. Fever
b. Headache
c. Muscle aches and joint pain
d. Rash
e. Sore throat and painful mouth sores
f. Diarrhoea
g. Weight loss
h. Cough
i. Night sweats
Since these are very common and regular symptoms for any kind of disease, most people don’t take these symptoms seriously, as a result, the infection spreads more easily during primary infection than during the next stage, i.e. the Clinical latent infection (Chronic HIV). In this stage of infection, HIV is still present in the white blood cells of the human body. But many people may not have any symptoms or infections during this time. This stage can last for many years if the patient is not receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment. Some people develop more severe diseases in less time. Causes of AIDS are:
a. By having unprotected sex.
b. By sharing needles.
c. Blood transfusions.

Note: In order to spread awareness about AIDS and HIV virus, many social welfare groups and health organizations have been formed. With proper precautions such as using condoms, sterilized needles, careful blood transfusions, etc. can prevent this syndrome.