Definitions of HIV & AIDS

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV uses CD4 cells in a body's immune system to replicate itself millions of times over. As this happens, a person's immune system becomes weaker and weaker until a person has progressed into AIDS.

HIV

• HIV is the human immune-deficiency virus. It is a virus that invades CD4 cells in a person's immune system.

AIDS

• AIDS is an acquired immune-deficiency syndrome. It is a collection of diseases and other symptoms caused by HIV.

HIV Without AIDS

• A person with HIV does not necessarily have AIDS. There are many AIDS-defining illnesses. A CD4 count of less than 200 is required to get that diagnosis.

AIDS Without HIV?

• No one who isn't infected with HIV will ever develop AIDS. You may have one or more AIDS defining illness throughout your lifetime, but without HIV, you cannot actually have AIDS.

Stages of Infection

• There are different stages associated with HIV before a patient will progress into AIDS. In early-stage HIV, a person is very infectious and often doesn't know he is ill. The mid-stage of HIV can last for several years, up to a decade or more, and is usually marked by a long period of no illness.