HIV and AIDS: Are You at Risk?
What is HIV and how can I get it?
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HIV - the human
immunodeficiency virus - is a
virus that kills your body’s
"CD4 cells." CD4 cells (also
called T-helper cells) help your
body fight off infection and
disease. HIV can be passed
from person to person if
someone with HIV infection has
sex with or shares drug injection
needles with another person. It
also can be passed from a
mother to her baby when she is
pregnant, when she delivers the
baby, or if she breast-feeds her
baby. |
AIDS - the acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome -
is a disease you get when HIV
destroys your body’s immune
system. Normally, your
immune system helps you fight
off illness. When your immune
system fails you can become
very sick and can die.
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What do
I need to
know
about
HIV?
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The first cases of AIDS were
identified in the United States in
1981, but AIDS most likely
existed here and in other parts
of the world for many years
before that time. In 1984
scientists proved that HIV
causes AIDS.
Anyone can get HIV. The most
important thing to know is how
you can get the virus.
You can get HIV:
- By having unprotected
sex- sex without a
condom-
with someone
who has HIV. The virus
can be in an infected
person’s blood, semen, or
vaginal secretions and can
enter your body through
tiny cuts or sores in your
skin, or in the lining of your
vagina, penis, rectum, or mouth.
- By sharing a needle and
syringe to inject drugs or
sharing drug equipment
used to prepare drugs for
injection with someone who
has HIV.
- From a blood transfusion
or blood clotting factor that
you got before 1985. (But
today it is unlikely you
could get infected that way
because all blood in the
United States has been
tested for HIV since 1985.)
Babies born to women with
HIV also can become infected
during pregnancy, birth, or
breast-feeding.
You cannot get HIV:
- By working with or being
around someone who has
HIV.
- From sweat, spit, tears,
clothes, drinking fountains,
phones, toilet seats, or
through everyday things like
sharing a meal.
- From insect bites or stings.
- From donating blood.
- From a closed-mouth kiss
(but there is a very small
chance of getting it from
open-mouthed or "French"
kissing with an infected
person because of possible
blood contact).
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How can
I protect
myself? |
- Don’t share needles and syringes used to inject drugs, steroids,
vitamins, or for tattooing or body piercing. Also, don’t share
equipment ("works") used to prepare drugs to be injected. Many
people have been infected with HIV, hepatitis, and other germs
this way. Germs from an infected person can stay in a needle and
then be injected directly into the next person who uses the needle.
- The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted
diseases is to abstain from sexual intercourse, or to be in a
longterm mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has
been tested and you know is uninfected.
- For persons whose sexual behaviors place them at risk for STDs,
correct and consistent use of the male latex condom can reduce
the risk of STD transmission. However, no protective method is
100 percent effective, and condom use cannot guarantee absolute
protection against any STD. The more sex partners you have, the
greater your chances are of getting HIV or other diseases passed
through sex.
- Condoms lubricated with spermicides are no more effective than
other lubricated condoms in protecting against the transmission
of HIV and other STDs. In order to achieve the protective effect
of condoms, they must be used correctly and consistently. Incorrect
use can lead to condom slippage or breakage, thus diminishing
their protective effect. Inconsistent use, e.g., failure to use
condoms with every act of intercourse, can lead to STD transmission
because transmission can occur with a single act of intercourse.
- Don’t share razors or toothbrushes because of the possibility
of contact with blood.
- If you are pregnant or think you might be soon, talk to a doctor
or your local health department about being tested for HIV. Drug
treatments are available to help you and reduce the chance of
passing HIV to your baby if you have it.
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How do I
know if I
have HIV
or AIDS? |
You might have HIV and still
feel perfectly healthy. The only
way to know for sure if you
are infected or not is to be
tested. Talk with a
knowledgeable health care
provider or counselor both
before and after you are tested.
You can go to your doctor or
health department for testing or
buy a home collection kit (for
testing for HIV antibodies) at
many pharmacies. To find out where to go in your area for
HIV counseling and testing,
call your local health
department or the CDC
National AIDS Hotline, at
1-800-342-AIDS (2437).
Your doctor or health care
provider can give you a
confidential HIV test. The
information on your HIV test
and test results are
confidential, just as your other
medical information. This
means it can be shared only
with people authorized to see
your medical records. You
can ask your doctor, health
care provider, or HIV
counselor at the place you are
tested to explain who can
obtain this information. For
example, you may want to ask
whether your insurance
company could find out your
HIV status if you make a claim
for health insurance benefits or
apply for life insurance or
disability insurance.
In many states, you can be
tested anonymously. These
tests are usually given at special
places known as anonymous
testing sites. When you get an
anonymous HIV test, the testing
site records only a number or
code with the test result, not
your name. A counselor gives
you this number at the time your
blood, saliva, or urine is taken
for the test, then you return to
the testing site (or perhaps call
the testing site, for example with
home collection kits) and give
them your number or code to
learn the results of your test.
You are more likely to test
positive for (be infected with)
HIV if you:
- Have ever shared injection
drug needles and syringes
or "works."
- Have ever had sex without a
condom with someone who
had HIV.
- Have ever had a sexually
transmitted disease, like
chlamydia or gonorrhea.
- Received a blood
transfusion or a blood
clotting factor between
1978 and 1985.
- Have ever had sex with
someone who has done any of those things
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What can
I do if the
test shows
I have
HIV?
|
Although HIV is a very serious
infection, many people with
HIV and AIDS are living longer,
healthier lives today, thanks to
new and effective treatments. It
is very important to make sure
you have a doctor who knows
how to treat HIV. If you don’t
know which doctor to use, talk
with a health care professional
or trained HIV counselor. If
you are pregnant or are planning
to become pregnant, this is
especially important.
There also are other things you
can do for yourself to stay
healthy. Here are a few:
- Follow your doctor’s
instructions. Keep your
appointments. Your doctor
may prescribe medicine for
you. Take the medicine just
the way he or she tells you
to because taking only
some of your medicine
gives your HIV infection
more chance to grow.
- Get immunizations (shots)
to prevent infections such
as pneumonia and flu. Your
doctor will tell you when to
get these shots.
- If you smoke or if you use
drugs not prescribed by
your doctor, quit.
- Eat healthy foods. This will
help keep you strong, keep
your energy and weight up,
and help your body protect
itself.
- Exercise regularly to stay
strong and fit.
- Get enough sleep and rest.
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How can I
find out
more
about
HIV and
AIDS? |
You can call the CDC
National AIDS Hotline at
1-800-342-2437 (Spanish/
Español: 1-800-344-7432;
TTY access: 1-800-243-7889).
The Hotline is staffed with
people trained to answer your
questions about HIV and AIDS
in a prompt and confidential
manner. Staff at the Hotline can
offer you a wide variety of
written materials and put you in
touch with organizations in your
area that deal with HIV and
AIDS.
On the Internet, you can get information on HIV and
AIDS from the CDC Division of HIV/ AIDS Prevention at www.cdc.gov/hiv.
Other sources of information are the CDC National Prevention Information
Network, www.cdcnpin.org or
AIDSinfo, www.aidsinfo.nih.gov.
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For more information about living with HIV or AIDS, call:
Free referrals and information:
CDC National AIDS Hotline
English | (800) 342-AIDS(2437) (24 hours/day) |
Spanish | (800) 344-SIDA(7432)
(8 am - 2 am EST al día)
(including STDS) |
TTY | (800) 243-7889 (Deaf and Hard of Hearing) (Monday -Friday/10 am-10 pm EST) |
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Free materials:
CDC National Prevention
Information Network
(800) 458-5231
1-301-562-1098 (International)
P.O. Box 6003
Rockville, MD 20849-6003
Free HIV/AIDS treatment information:
AIDSinfo
(800) 448-0440
Drugs undergoing clinical trials:
AIDSinfo
(800) 448-0440
Social Security benefits:
Social Security Administration
(800) 772-1213
(You also may request a personal
earnings and benefit estimate
statement to help you estimate
the retirement, disability, and
survivor benefits payable on your
Social Security record).
Child Health Insurance Program
1-877-KIDS NOW
(1-877-543-7669)
CDC Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention Internet address: www.cdc.gov/hiv
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Revised: April
14, 2003
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention
Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention
Contact Us
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