what exactly causes HIV or Aids?

Answer 1

HIV, or the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus, is the virus that leads to a condition known as AIDS, or Aquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The condition is characterized by the shutting-down of immune response as the HIV virus colonizes in the T-cells of the immune system. T-cells are required for the immune system to coordinate defense against foreign microorganisms and particles, so when these cells are taken out by HIV, the immune system greatly looses effectiveness, making even simple infections like a cold lethal.

HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids, but is dangerous only so in blood and sexual fluid, making this a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD).

Answer 2

Well, the most widely accepted explanation is that HIV (and AIDS) was caused by the zoonotic transfer of the SIV virus into humans (???around Lake Tanganyika, sometime in the 1950s).

HIV (of which there are several different types; it's not a single virus - the most common HIV virus in developed nations being the HIV1-M-B virus) is transmitted between people by the transfer of bodyfluids (SEB: secretions, excretions, blood) from an infected person to an uninfected person. It is transmitted by more means than just sex, for example it is transmitted from an HIV+ mum to her bub during a vaginal birth as well as whilst breastfeeding.

PS I'm not sure from the wording of your question but HIV and AIDS are *not* the same thing. AIDS is the syndrome; HIV is the causative agent. HIV is not curable but, in 2007 in the western world, it is now a manageable condition. Someone who gets infected with HIV-1 today will probably take at least 14 years to show any symptoms of AIDS; someone infected with an HIV-2 virus in the west today will probably be long dead from other causes before there's a rat's chance in hell of them ever developing any symptoms.

Answer 3

You are right. There were several steps required to cause this human disease. It was not a problem fifty years ago. After the war the world health organization was making a anti-virus against another disease that was everywhere. The scientists were using the boiled virus from an infected African monkeys to inject into humans. There is one story that an unsafe batch of vaccine was sent back to Africa and it was also carried the live African virus for monkeys very much like AIDS. Soon it adapted to humans and spread faster than it killed. Today the spreading is seen as the cause of the disease and no contact is the only safe way to go. Africa can't afford to fight it with drugs and there is a story of a tribe made up from orphan children who banded together to make a village. Their parents all had AIDS.

Answer 4

This is a virus which is sexually transmitted through blood or other body fluids. HIV can lead to full blown aids. There are many treatments now so the life expectancy has increased since it was first diagnosed.

Answer 5

this is a virus that is transmitted by blood or body fluids transfer. If you have sex where there is an open wound, or cut, blood tranfusion, sharing needles when doing drugs, have an open wound on you that comes into contact ith an open wound on someone with aids, then you could pick up the virus.
sharing a soda or piece of pie, hugs is okay.

The virus attacks you immune system, destroying it so that when germ or other viruses that cause sickness get to you, you have no defense to it and they can become deadly.

So use condoms when having sex with strangers, discuss stds before sex, and get yourself tested if you sleep around a lot so you don't spread it around. There are a lot of expensive meds you can take if you have it to keep it at bay, but once its there, you've got it for life.

other things for life are herpes and warts, so be safe and talk about sexual histories before sex!

Answer 6

It is very uncertain. We all know that HIV/AIDS is an STD (sexually transmitted disease), but we don't specifically know it's origin. It mainly started out in the early 80s in many gay communities in the US. The CDC classified AIDS as a form of cancer before it became an epidemic. However, there are a butt-load of conspiracy theories out there concerning it's origin. Some people say it was uncovered when Jonas Salk was researching for a Polio vaccine (he found something in the kidney cells of orangutans that helped him find a vaccine; some people say that AIDS was stumbled upon by his research and was never documented), or as a biological weapon developed by the US military. Who knows?

Answer 7

Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) it is the virus that gets in to your body through breech of skin or mucous membrane or directly in to your blood by transfusion of HIV infected blood from a HIV positive person. During sex there is abrasion of skin or mucous membrane of Vagina and penis through which the HIV (virus) enters the blood and you get infected by it. AIDS (auto immune deficiency syndrome) appears after your body defences are destroyed by this virus.It may take upto 10 rears to develop after you get infected by the virus.

Answer 8

HIV is a viral infection , the virus is as such very fragile but vrry hazardous as it destroys the army of body the immune systems
like any other infections route of entry is very specific, it is the contact of infected blood or secretions, or body fluids
hence such transmissions can occur through
unprotected sex
infected mother to child at the time of delivary
sharing the infected needles by drug users
infected blood transfusions

Answer 9

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

Answer 10

U can get HIV by transmitting bodily fluid. It can be through sex, needles and blood transfusions. Mainly through sex. HIV is just the virus and then it turns into AIDS which is the disease.