HIV and AIDS

1.- What is AIDS?
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the late stage of infection caused by a virus, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). A person who is infected with HIV can look and feel healthy for up to ten years or more before signs of AIDS appear. But HIV steadily weakens the body's defense (immune) system until it can no longer fight off infections such as pneumonia, diarrhea, tumors and other illnesses.

2.- How can one contract HIV?
- AIDS is mainly a sexually transmitted disease. Most of all HIV infections have been transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who is already infected with HIV. HIV can also be transmitted by infected blood or blood products (as in blood transfusions), by the sharing of contaminated needles, and from an infected woman to her baby before birth, during delivery, or through breast-feeding. HIV is not transmitted through normal, day-to-day contact.

3.- Can I get AIDS from "casual contact" with an infected person?
- No. This means that it is OK to play sports and work together, shake hands, hug friends or kiss them on the cheek or hands, sleep in the same room, breathe the same air, share drinking and eating utensils and towels, use the same showers or toilets, use the same washing water and swim in the same swimming pool. You cannot get infected through spitting, sneezing, coughing or through tears or sweat, or through bites from mosquitoes or other insects.

4.- What should I do to protect myself from HIV?
There is no vaccine to protect people against getting infected with HIV. There is no cure for AIDS either. This means that the only certain way to avoid AIDS is to prevent getting infected with HIV in the first place.

5.- What is safer sex?
- You are safest of all if you do not have sexual intercourse. You are also safe if you are in a stable relationship where both you and your partner are free of HIV and neither of you has other sex partners. Sex without penetration is another way to have safer sex that greatly decreases your risk of getting infected with HIV. You can have a great deal of stimulation and pleasure through caressing, hugging, kissing, and massaging different parts of the body. Safer sex also includes using a condom - but, using a condom correctly, and using one every time you have sex. Learn how to negotiate the use of condoms with your partner.

6.- What about oral sex, is it safe?
- You need to know that the AIDS virus is present in sexual secretions, including the vaginal secretions of a woman and the semen (in both the pre-ejaculation lubricating mucus and the ejaculate, or "cum") of a man. This means that taking the partner's sexual secretions into the mouth can pose a risk of infection.
It is strongly advisable to carry out oral sex only with some kind of protection. You should use a condom on the erect penis, and place a thin rubber sheet or "dam" over the woman's genitals.

7.- What about the risk of kissing - and what about "wet" or "tongue kissing"?
- The AIDS virus is not found in the saliva of the mouth under normal conditions. So, when two healthy people kiss, or even kiss with touching tongues or inserting the tongue deeply into the other person's mouth, there should not be any significant risk.
However, everyone has times when there is bleeding from the gums or a small ulcer in the mouth. Some people have this almost all the time. If this is true for both individuals who are kissing, and if there is any exchange of blood between the two mouths, there is a potential risk that the virus could pass from one person to the next. Obviously, the risk would be higher in "wet" kissing. It is not possible to know exactly how important this risk is.

8.- Can I have anal sex?
- In these circumstances, using a well-lubricated condom is absolutely essential for protection. Unlike the vagina, which produces secretions that lubricate vaginal sex, the anus does not produce lubricating secretions. Without such lubrication, the additional friction during anal sex can cause regular condoms to tear. In some places, it is possible to get condoms made especially for anal sex. If these are not available, you should really try to be on the safer side - look for other ways to have sexual satisfaction.

9.- What should I do if I think I might already have HIV?
- If you think you might have HIV (if you have had unprotected sex, you may be starting to worry), and you would like to know for sure, ask your physician about getting an HIV blood test and some counseling. If you need to check it out yourself, many cities have testing centers where you can get an HIV test and some good counseling without even having to give your name.

10.- What is the use of knowing whether or not I am infected?
- It will permit you to get full and proper medical care should you be infected. By taking extra care, people with HIV infection can live for many years. If you are infected, you can find out what to do to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
There are two other reasons why it is important to know if you are infected.
First, if you are infected with HIV and have sex with other people, there is a great risk you could transmit the virus to them. In this situation, you need to prevent passing on the virus to others. You need to be sure that the infection stops with you.
Secondly, if you are infected with HIV, you certainly do not want your blood to be used in a transfusion in the event you donate blood to someone in need of a blood transfusion. In this sense, it is essential to know if you are infected with HIV, so that your donated blood does not cause someone to contract HIV.

* Source: UNAIDS http://www.unaids.org/hivaidsinfo/faq/effect.html