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HIV, short for "human immunodefiency virus" is a virus that progressively
destroys the body's immune system. It does so by killing or damaging cells of
the body's immune system. In the early stages, HIV infection may have no
symptoms or just symptoms of a flu-like illness. However as the disease
progresses, the symptoms become progressively more severe. This may take several
years to manifest. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is the advanced
stage of HIV infection. The body's immune system has been largely destroyed and
it is susceptible to many life-threatening diseases and certain cancers. HIV
infection reached world wide epidemic proportions since emerging in the 1980s.
Transmission is mostly done through unprotected sex, the sharing of syringes or
needles, and from infected mother to baby during pregnancy or birth. However
there is no evidence that the infection can be spread through saliva or casual
contact. In the final stages of disease where the body has practically no
immune system, all sorts of opportunistic infection can affect the body. The
inevitable result of this is death. Precautions that can be taken to prevent
HIV infection include having no unprotected sex especially with someone you do
not know well even if he or she shows no symptoms of infection. Also do not
share or repeat the use of needles and syringes. The best thing to do is to not
to have multiple sex partners and not to take drugs. AIDS is a killer. Your life
is too precious to take chances with it. |
