Aids

HIV and AIDS are not the same thing...

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks and breaks down the body's immune system - the "internal defense force" that fights off infections and disease. When the immune system becomes weak, we lose our protection against illness and can develop serious, often life-threatening, infections and cancers.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is the name for the condition that people with HIV have if they develop one of the serious infections connected with HIV, or if blood tests show that their immune system has been very badly damaged by the virus.

It usually takes many years before HIV breaks down a person's immune system and causes AIDS. Most people have few, if any, symptoms for several years after they are infected. But once HIV gets into the body, it can do serious damage to the immune system. People who appear perfectly healthy may have the virus, without knowing it, and pass it on to others.

HIV transmission

People who have HIV can give it to others when certain of their body fluids (blood, semen ["cum"], vaginal fluids, or breast milk [for infants only] pass into another person's body. There are three main ways that our body fluids can get into another person's body:

by having unprotected sex (sex without a condom), that involves anal, vaginal or oral penetration;

by sharing "works" (needles and syringes, cookers, cottons and water) when injecting drugs or other substances;

from a mother to her child before birth, during birth, or while breast-feeding. (The chance of having a healthy baby can be greatly increased with proper medical care, so talking about this with a health care provider can be very helpful.)

Kissing, mutual masturbation, and getting another person's semen/cum or vaginal fluids on your skin do not spread HIV. The HIV virus cannot enter through the skin unless there is a fresh break in the skin. There is no scientific evidence that HIV is passed through saliva, tears, or sweat.

There is absolutely no danger from casual contact with people with HIV. HIV cannot live outside of the human body, so you cannot be infected from toilet seats, phones, or water fountains.