What Is HIV? HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It breaks down your body's immune system. Your immune system protects you against diseases. HIV is a virus that lives in blood, semen (cum), breast milk and vaginal fluids.
What Is AIDS? AIDS is the stage where HIV has severely damaged the immune system. Once you are infected, HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is in the body for life. Even though you may look and feel fine, once you are infected with HIV, you can infect other people.
By sharing needles, syringes, cookers or cotton (works) to shoot drugs.
By being born to an HIV infected mother.
You can have HIV and not have AIDS. You may feel well and look healthy for years.
What Are The Signs Of HIV?
Quite often, people with HIV have no signs at all. Sometimes HIV shows signs a lot like the flu or the signs may be similar and mistaken for other diseases. The difference with HIV is, the signs don't go away, or keep coming back. If you have any of these signs, and they last several weeks or more, see your doctor.
losing lots of weight for no reason
feeling very tired all the time
fever or night sweats
diarrhea
dry coughing not from a cold or smoking
swollen glands in the neck, armpit or groin.
pink, blue or purple spots on the skin or in the mouth. (They look like bruises, but don't go away.)
Is there a test for HIV?
There is a blood test for the antibodies that your body makes to fight HIV infection. The tests won't tell you if you have AIDS, but it will tell you if you've been infected by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
How can I avoid getting HIV?
The surest way is not to have sex and not to shoot drugs. If you choose to have sex or shoot drugs, there are ways to reduce the chances of exposure to HIV.
If you have sex, having just one partner is safest. Protect yourself and your partner during sex. Always use a male or female latex condom (rubber) for vaginal sex. You should always use a rubber if you have anal sex. Water-based foams, creams and jellies will give you some extra protection if you learn to use them with a rubber. It may look easy, but if you don't do it right, the rubber can break, leak or slip off. Flavored condoms are available for oral sex. Click herefor information about female condoms.
Although HIV can transmit orally, oral sex is considered a lower risk behavior than unprotected vaginal or anal sex.
If you shoot drugs, never share works.
You cannot get HIV from:
Shaking hands, hugging, sneezing, or coughing, using bathtubs, toilet seats, swimming pools, touching doorknobs, telephones or from the air, sharing drinks, food, glasses, dishes, forks, or spoons.
In other words, you won't get HIV from just being near someone who has it.
The HIV/STD Connection
STDs or Sexually Transmitted Diseases such as syphilis, herpes, chlamydia or gonorrhea are diseases you can get from having unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Having sores caused by STDs like syphilis or herpes make it easier to get HIV.
Having any STD can put you at greater risk for getting HIV.
Having HIV can make it harder to treat other STD's if you get them.
1. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. True False
2. You can tell by looking if someone has HIV. True False
3. The only way to know if you have HIV is to have an HIV test. True False
4. HIV is passed in blood, semen and vaginal fluids. True False
5. You can only get HIV if you have anal sex with someone who has it. True False
6. You can get HIV if you share needles for any reason. True False
ANSWERS: (1- True, 2- False, 3- True, 4- True, 5- False, 6- True) If you missed any you should find out more about HIV.
Quite often, people with HIV have no signs at all. Sometimes HIV shows signs a lot like the flu or the signs may be similar and mistaken for other diseases. The difference with HIV is, the signs don't go away, or keep coming back. If you have any of these signs, and they last several weeks or more, see your doctor. 
