how is aids spread ?

Answer 1

WHAT DOES "AIDS" MEAN?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome:

Acquired means you can get infected with it;
Immune Deficiency means a weakness in the body's system that fights diseases.
Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease.
AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If you get infected with HIV, your body will try to fight the infection. It will make "antibodies," special molecules to fight HIV.

A blood test for HIV looks for these antibodies. If you have them in your blood, it means that you have HIV infection. People who have the HIV antibodies are called "HIV-Positive." Fact Sheet 102 has more information on HIV testing.

Being HIV-positive, or having HIV disease, is not the same as having AIDS. Many people are HIV-positive but don't get sick for many years. As HIV disease continues, it slowly wears down the immune system. Viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria that usually don't cause any problems can make you very sick if your immune system is damaged. These are called "opportunistic infections." See Fact Sheet 500 for an overview of opportunistic infections.

HOW DO YOU GET AIDS?
You don't actually "get" AIDS. You might get infected with HIV, and later you might develop AIDS. You can get infected with HIV from anyone who's infected, even if they don't look sick and even if they haven't tested HIV-positive yet. The blood, vaginal fluid, semen, and breast milk of people infected with HIV has enough of the virus in it to infect other people. Most people get the HIV virus by:

having sex with an infected person
sharing a needle (shooting drugs) with someone who's infected
being born when their mother is infected, or drinking the breast milk of an infected woman
Getting a transfusion of infected blood used to be a way people got AIDS, but now the blood supply is screened very carefully and the risk is extremely low.

There are no documented cases of HIV being transmitted by tears or saliva, but it is possible to be infected with HIV through oral sex or in rare cases through deep kissing, especially if you have open sores in your mouth or bleeding gums. For more information, see the following Fact Sheets:

150: Stopping the Spread of HIV
151: Safer Sex Guidelines
152: How Risky Is It?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 million to 1.2 million U.S. residents are living with HIV infection, about one-quarter of whom are unaware of their infection. Each year, there are about 40,000 new infections. Of these, about 70 percent are among men and 30 percent among women.

In the mid-1990s, AIDS was a leading cause of death. However, newer treatments have cut the AIDS death rate significantly. For more information, see the US Government fact sheet at http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/aidsstat.htm.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I'M HIV POSITIVE?
You might not know if you get infected by HIV. Some people get fever, headache, sore muscles and joints, stomach ache, swollen lymph glands, or a skin rash for one or two weeks. Most people think it's the flu. Some people have no symptoms. Fact Sheet 103 has more information on the early stage of HIV infection.

The virus will multiply in your body for a few weeks or even months before your immune system responds. During this time, you won't test positive for HIV, but you can infect other people.

When your immune system responds, it starts to make antibodies. When this happens, you will test positive for HIV.

After the first flu-like symptoms, some people with HIV stay healthy for ten years or longer. But during this time, HIV is damaging your immune system.

One way to measure the damage to your immune system is to count your CD4 cells you have. These cells, also called "T-helper" cells, are an important part of the immune system. Healthy people have between 500 and 1,500 CD4 cells in a milliliter of blood. Fact Sheet 124 has has more information on CD4 cells.

Without treatment, your CD4 cell count will most likely go down. You might start having signs of HIV disease like fevers, night sweats, diarrhea, or swollen lymph nodes. If you have HIV disease, these problems will last more than a few days, and probably continue for several weeks.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE AIDS?
HIV disease becomes AIDS when your immune system is seriously damaged. If you have less than 200 CD4 cells or if your CD4 percentage is less than 14%, you have AIDS. See Fact Sheet 124 for more information on CD4 cells. If you get an opportunistic infection, you have AIDS. There is an "official" list of these opportunistic infections put out by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The most common ones are:

PCP (Pneumocystis pneumonia), a lung infection;
KS (Kaposi's sarcoma), a skin cancer;
CMV (Cytomegalovirus), an infection that usually affects the eyes; and
Candida, a fungal infection that can cause thrush (a white film in your mouth) or infections in your throat or vagina.
AIDS-related diseases also includes serious weight loss, brain tumors, and other health problems. Without treatment, these opportunistic infections can kill you.

The official (technical) CDC definition of AIDS is available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00018871.htm

AIDS is different in every infected person. Some people die a few months after getting infected, while others live fairly normal lives for many years, even after they "officially" have AIDS. A few HIV-positive people stay healthy for many years even without taking antiretroviral medications (ARVs).

IS THERE A CURE FOR AIDS?
There is no cure for AIDS. There are drugs that can slow down the HIV virus, and slow down the damage to your immune system. There is no way to "clear" the HIV out of your body.

Other drugs can prevent or treat opportunistic infections (OIs). In most cases, these drugs work very well. The newer, stronger ARVs have also helped reduce the rates of most OIs. A few OIs, however, are still very difficult to treat. See Fact Sheet 500 for more information on opportunistic infections.

I'm not a Doctor... I'm just a Corpsman...

Answer 2

Nope! I watched a video in health class when I was in HS and it said even if you drink a whole 2-liter bottle full of saliva (gag) it wont spread AIDS/HIV. The only way to get it is from sexual activity or blood to blood contact.

Answer 3

It is a STD mainly.

STD stand for Sexually Transmitted Decease.

It is an Acquired Immune Decease Syndrome(AIDS).

It is acquired by body fluids contact with another person who has AIDS or is a carrier of AIDS.

It is also loosely called/known as HIV positive.

Answer 4

It really isn't AIDS that is spread it's HIV. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. You can't get AIDS until you have first had HIV. HIV is spread through sexual contact, sharing of needles, and any other method in which blood or bodily fluids can be transferred.

Answer 5

aids spread by sexual intercourse with a person having aids
receiving blood which is contaminated with aids virus
sharing needles which are contaminated with aids virus so aids common in drug abusers
child can receive infection from mother during childbirth

Answer 6

Aids is spread through body fluids - blood, urine, saliva, etc. You can get it through unprotected sex, blood transfusions, drug use where needles are shared, etc.

Answer 7

Mostly through the multi use of needles as in drugs. BUT, it can and is spreadable through UNprotected sex, blood exchange/transfusions, body fluids, saliva.

Answer 8

Through contact with another person's body fluid i.e., blood, semen, urine, and less common, saliva. Actions such as unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing a needle with someone, or their body fluid gets into your system by contact with an open wound.

Answer 9

You really need to use the internet and go to a Health websight. When people are uninformed( which shouldn't happen in this day and age, with access to the internet) many BAD things can happen to them. Do yourself a favor and find out all the facts. Here is one.
www.aids/fact sheets.

Answer 10

Dear friend,
Aids or HIV is spread through sex. It can be normal sex, oral sex, anal sex or any kind, but if you have sex with the person who is affected by aids, you are sure to be affected by AIDS. It is also possible to contact Aids through used needles, blades, knives, razors, etc, i.e. when we use the same after the affected persons have used them.
Never ever have sex with strangers. Get married & have safe sex. Even in your marriage, both the bride & the bridegroom should get their blood tested. If anyone is HIV positive, you can immediately cancel the wedding.
Ignorance is inexcusable. It is a matter of life & death.
In a country like India, people look down upon the HIV AFFECTED persons. It is always better to be careful than to repent later.
What can we do if even a mosquito bite could transmit HIV? We can't do anything. A mosquito's needle like organ, enters the blood stream of the HIV affected person, and later if it starts sucking blood from an unaffected person, how can one be sure of this mechanism. Does the mosquito wash its mouth everytime it completes its bite. We have to keep our fingers crossed.

Answer 11

Through blood or exchange of bodily fluids.