• Question: what is AIDS HOW DOSE IT AFFECT U

    Asked by 006829l to Anouk, Chris, Judith, Leisha, Seyyed on 20 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Chris Kettle

      Chris Kettle answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      AIDS is acquired immunodeficiency sydrome and happens many years after you have been exposed to the HIV virus. I’m not 100% how it affects you but it was fatal but now, with the right treatment, it may not be. I know it affects your immune system and your immune system turns against you own body and attacks your organs.

    • Photo: Anouk Gouvras

      Anouk Gouvras answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      Like Chris has explained AIDS stands for ‘Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome’ it is a diseases which is caused by the virus HIV. HIV stands for ‘Immunodeficiency virus’.
      Perhaps someone can explain this better but from my (basic) understanding:
      People who get infected with HIV (the virus) can live for a while without any symptoms or problems, but the virus (HIV) has started to attack their immune system. It does this by infecting important ‘fighter’ cells of your immune cells, the T cells, which normally fight infections and diseases. HIV takes over the T-cells and turns it into a virus-making factory, producing lots and lots of HIV, these new HIV leave the T-cell to go and infect other T-cells and produce more HIV. The infected T-cells can no longer fight off other infections and diseases. After a while (sometimes it can be years) the virus has destroyed, and is continuing to destroy, so many T-cells that the body can not defend itself against infections anymore, this is when the infected person develops the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), and AIDS is fatal.

      Luckily now there is a treatment for HIV that can keep a person free of symptoms and of developing AIDS. Unfortunately though this medication is very expensive and a lot of people with HIV can not afford it.

      I think it is estimated that over 30 million people worldwide are infected with HIV.

      HIV is spread by the following:
      unprotected sex
      sharing of needles
      Also a pregnant lady with HIV can pass it to her unborn baby when it is in the womb. And in places where there aren’t strict regulations blood transfusions can also spread HIV infections.

      Here is a useful site http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/infection/hiv.html

    • Photo: Judith Sleeman

      Judith Sleeman answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      Anouk has given a pretty good summary, to the best of my knowledge! It’s such a clever virus, though, HIV: hiding in the very cells that are supposed to protect us from infection. Also one of many good reasons to ALWAYS practice safe sex!

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