How can any one get HIV? How do you come in contact w/ it? is it contagious???

Question

i don't know how HIV starts or how you can get it. I know it's an STD but where does it originate? Most plp say it's gay men that have it the most but what about regular plp? I need some info. please... How do you know who has it? can you tell... how fast does it develope... thanks for your help...

Answer 1

HIV started out in northwest Africa--there is a similar disease there in the chimp population, and they think someone either got bitten by a chimp, or may have eaten one. It was originally mainly in the Haitian community and in the gay community, but over the years it has spread to all segments of the population, through drug use, blood transfusions, etc. It can be spread through any sharing of bodily fluids. My husband works in a lab, and he was once exposed to it through a test tube that broke in his hand and cut him (we were very lucky--he didn't develop it). There's no way of knowing who has it--many people who have it don't even realize they do until they develop AIDS. It can stay in your system for years before you develop AIDS--for example, Magic Johnson became HIV positive years ago, yet somehow he has been lucky, and it hasn't developed into AIDS yet. Others can develop AIDS right away--it depends completely on the individual. There are medicines which can ease the symptoms, but there is no cure for AIDS, and no way to prevent being infected with HIV if you are exposed. You may be VERY lucky and not become infected, but DON"T take the risk.

Answer 2

You can't tell if someone has it or not by looking at them. There are conflicting thoughts about how it originated, it's a virus which affects the immune system and can result in the person developing AIDS, Aquired Immuo Deficiency Syndrome, which leaves your body defenceless against infections. HIV is transmitted through body fluids and is primarily passed through blood, semen and vaginal secretions. It is most frequently transmitted through sex but can also be transmitted via blood through piercing, tattoos and blood transfusions, although the risk of transmission this way is very small now in Westernised society due to screening and sterilisation of equipment. In the 80's it was mainly considered to be a disease amongst gay men, due to low condom use and multiple partners. The reality is that it is now a predominately hetrosexual disease as the gay community are better at protecting themselves and condom use amongst heterosexuals is in decline. It can take up to 3 months before HIV can be detected by blood test, HIV can be controlled with drugs but cannot be cured as yet, not everyone develops AIDS. The best way to protect yourself is to ensure that you always use condoms during sex.

Answer 3

Ok. HIV can be passed on through unprotected sex (vaginal, anal and oral sex. Oral sex is less risky behaviour unless a partner is on her period) but only with an infected person. It can also be spread by blood (i.e. sharing needles) or through mother to baby (which can be via placenta, during vaginal birth and through breast milk.) I must add that you can NOT get it through kissing, or sharing drinks. There is very little concentration of the virus in saliva.

It is contagious yes.

Anyone can get HIV, it isn't limited to gay men. I think this comes from the fact that its easier to get through anal sex because the lining of the anus is very thing, so the virus can enter easily.

The only way you can tell if someone has it is if they tell you. They can only know if they get tested. It can take up to 6 months for it to show on a test. But people can go without symptoms for 20 years.

HIV doesn't always lead to AIDS.

Answer 4

This disease is not selective Children, Men and Women have HIV and it is an STD but you can get it by using dirty needles, I know someone who has HIV because of that. Pregnant woman pass can pass HIV to their unborn children.Every person is different so how fast it develops changes from person to person. I could tell something was different about this guy I know, but it have been two years since the last time I saw him so as far telling if he had HIV, I could not tell that by looking at him, he told me.

What are the symptoms of HIV?

The only way to determine HIV infection is to be tested, as symptoms and latent periods vary from person to person. It is common during the first two to four weeks of infection that people experience flu-like symptoms and enlarged lymph nodes. This is because the virus migrates to various organs in the body, particularly the lymphoid organs. During this stage people are highly infectious and HIV is present in large quantities in genital secretions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following are symptoms that may be warning signs of HIV infections:

* Rapid weight loss
* Dry cough
* Recurring fever or profuse night sweats
* Profound and unexplained fatigue
* Swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin or neck
* Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
* White spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, in the mouth or in the throat
* Pneumonia
* Red, brown, pink or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose or eyelids
* Memory loss, depression and other neurological disorders

Remember that the only way to determine HIV infection is to be tested for the virus. No one should assume they are HIV positive or negative based on the presence or absence of any of the above symptoms. Each symptom can be related to other illnesses; similarly, other symptoms or the absence of symptoms cannot assure that someone is HIV negative. To be certain, get tested.

Answer 5

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. This is a sexually transmitted virus, meaning that it is spread through oral, vaginal and anal sex; or, contact with an infected individual's blood (transfusions and the like). HIV is not only a gay disease, in fact, the larget number of new HIV/aids cases are heterosexual women. You cannot tell who is infected with HIV simply by looking at a person, as the virus does not always manifest itself in that way. Blood tests can determine if you or your partner are infected, and that is the only way to know for certain if a person is infected. HIV can be in the body for 10 years before "showing" itself, so it is important to get tested within every few years.

DO NOT READ AND OR BELIEVE THE POST BEFORE THIS ONE CLAIMING AIDS IS CAUSED BY POVERTY, IS NOT REAL, ETC- THAT POSTING IS FULL OF IGNORANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

HIV is spreed through human blood, and anyone can get it not just gays. there are no signs, so no you can not tell someone has is just by looking at them, and you would only know if you have it by getting tested for it! and in regards to how fast is develops, well that varies from person to person, and how much money they have, because with out money they cant afford the drugs to help slow it down. it can be transmitted threw sharing needles, sex, open cuts, ect...

Answer 7

Not all gay men have it. That's a stereotype. Most people get it from needles(drugs) Having sex unprotected. Or if you have an open wound and they have a open wound and their blood come in contact with you. You can't get it if you touch their hand or anything. You can't tell has has it. You can have it and not know it. It takes a while to get it. Just get checked out often if you feel like that. Don't worry you are okay.

Answer 8

thats the problem these days...u dont know who has it unless they honestly tell u, but thats not always the case because there are people who dont care and dont say they have it and spread the disease....u can get HIV through unprotected sex, sharing needles, blood contact like if someone has aids and u get their blood in an open wound of urs, but not through touching or kissing. it could take yrs for the disease 2 show up. but it developes righr away if u take the wrong precautions.

Answer 9

stats say that most gay men carry it but u can contrat it from ne one that has it and it does not have to be a gay man, it can be a straigh man. but it stands for human immunodefiency virus and it its the primary stage to aids. and it is contracted through sexual contract and thats why it is a sexually transmitted disease, it can also be cointracted from someone who has it and there is a open wound and u make contac through blood. u cant get it walkin nxt to someone or talkin face to face with someone. most times they are healthy because of medication these days and u dont know who has it and i would hope that your partner wud tell u if thaty was the case.. it can develop fast though dependin on the person immune system.. it can be weeks, months or years before they know they hav or be4 ne noticeable symptoms. some have no sympptoms at all

Answer 10

Yes it is contagious. It is blood bourne which means you have to have contact with blood or body fluids ie semen from someone who has it to get it. You can also get it from sharing needles if you are a drug user. Blood test can tell after about 3-6 months but you can't always look at someonee and tell if they are infected or not.