what the hell is aids?

Question

i need to know what aids is, how its caused, and why its so harmful. any help?

Answer 1

AIDS is acquired immune defficency syndrome. It comes from the HIV virus. What separates AIDS and HIV infection is a T-cell count (more on this later). HIV is transmitted by blood and other bodily fluids. Common routes of transmission are sexual (intercourse (oral, anal, genital)), blood transfusions, needle sticks (nosocomial: hospital acquired, or from IV drug use).
The HIV virus is a reverse transcriptase virus, which means that it can encorporate itself into our DNA making it very deadly (this is why we don't have a cure). The HIV virus attacks the immune system, specifically T-Cells.
Our immune systems are composed of two types of cells: T-cells and B-cells. T cells come from the thymus gland (thats where they get their name), which is located above the heart. T cells come in three forms: T helper 1, T helper 2, and T cytotoxic cells. T cells function in primary immune defense. When you become infected with a bacteria or virus T cells are often the first to the infection. T helper 1 recruits immune cells to the site of infection like macrophages, which eat the bacteria. T helper 2 binds to the antigen (germ, virus, bacteria) and calls over another immune complex called complement. Complement will do something called opsonization. Opsonization is like putting a big ol target on the antigen that tells the macrophages "come and eat me". If macrophages don't respond in time complement can actually breakdown the bacteria itself. T cytotoxic cells will cause lysis of the bacteria (they break open and die). After this process B cells make antibodies to the antigens, which prevent you from getting sick by the same bacteria more than once, by make the immune response faster if you are infected again. You can live without B cells but not T cells. You can't make antibodies without T cells first fighting the infection, and without antibodies or T cells you can't fight infections.
HIV infection transitions to AIDS when a person's T cell count (aka CD4) goes below 200 cells per mm cubed.
AIDS does not actually kill people. Infections by many organisms and the inability to fight these infections is what kills people. Current treatment is getting better and includes a "cocktail" (upwards of 20 medications per day) to kill bacteria, reduce viral load (number of copies of the virus per ml of blood), and help boost the immune system (T cell count). The earlier treatment is started the better the prognosis is and the more immune function you will have.

It is worth noting that there is some evidence to suggest that high doses of "the cocktail" taken within 12-24 hours of exposure for a few days may prevent the infection from occuring. In addition, like with other viruses and infections some people are immune to this disease but they are few and far between.

Answer 2

AIDS..Aquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. A person will first be infected with the HIV virus. Eventually, HIV will become AIDS. This is determined when your CD4 cell count gets to a certain #. People who have HIV and are very wealthy (ie. Magic Johnson) can take the most expensive medications, which prevent the viral load from reaching a point where it could turn into AIDS. There are four bodily fluids that can transmit the HIV virus; blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal secretions. When a person gets HIV, it breaks down the immune system. This is the system in the human body, which fights of diseases, infection, etc. When it becomes so supressed (doesn't work like it would if you didn't have a virus that can kill you) you can't fight off things that invade your body. Once HIV becomes AIDS, opportunistic diseases (pneumonia, certain types of cancer, etc) will invade your body. With your body being so weak and not up to par, your body is unable to defend its self. AIDS will eventually kill a person.
Hope this helped.
Just type in AIDS in a search engine and it will give you a wealth of sites about this VIRUS.

Answer 3

Aquired immune deficiency syndrome,its a disease that causes one not to have an immune system,so if one get an illness one cannot fight the bacteria because of lack of antibodies and unfortunately dies. The aids virus sexually and through blood get into the blood stream,but is usually the milder form known as HIV before it turns into aids.These days due to medical breakthough people are surviving and death is hopefully of the past.

Answer 4

that's something loose women get for being so arrogant.