FAQs

What is AIDS?

AIDS stands for Acquired immune Deficiency Syndrome and is caused by a virus known as the Human Immunodefciency Virus of HIV:

Acquired: meaning that it is a virus that a person contracts as opposed to a condiditon that is hereditary (passed on through genes)

Immune: Your immune system is the part of the body that protects you from germs, viruses and bacteria and so keeps you healthy.

Deficiency: It creates a deficiency or weakness in your immune system, causing it to malfunction.

Syndrome: A wide range of different diseases, conditions and opportunistic infections someone with AIDS may experience.

Human: The virus can only affect humans.

Immuno-deficiency: The virus causes the immune system to lack the required elements for it to function properly.

Virus: The germ (micro-organism) responsible for the infection. It is extremely small and can only survive and multiply within living cells at the expense of these cells.

One of the blood cells infected and killed by HIV is the T-4 (CD-4) cell. It is required to protect your body from other infections. The number of CD-4 cells in your blood shows how strong your immune system is. If infected by HIV a test called a CD-4 count will determine the progress of HIV infection.

As your CD-4 count drops due to destruction by HIV your body becomes more susceptible to infections caused by other germs. This happens because your ability to fight off the particular infections (for which the T-4 and B-cells were designed) has been decreased. These infections are known as opportunistic infections. They take advantage 1.e. the opportunity, of your weakened immune system and cause infection.

The main route of HIV transmission is through:

Unprotected sexual contact with an infected person.

By sharing needles with an infected person and

From an infected mother to child during pregnancy, during birth or shortly after birth while breastfeeding.

Note: HIV is most concentrated in blood

You are at risk:

If you have sex without condoms

If you have many sex partners and do not use condoms

If your sex partner (s) has/have sex with other persons without using condoms

If you have shared unsterilised needles for intravenous drug use

If you have sex with only one partner who is HIV positive.

Yes if used correctly. A condom is the only barrier that is now available to protect persons from contracting HIV and other sexual transmitted infections during sexual intercourse.

It is important that nails and teeth are NOT used when opening the condom package. As well, do not use grease (Vaseline) as a lubricant since this could cause the condom to burst. Use a water-based lubricant such as KY which is available at your local drugstore.

Yes, it is possible to become infected with HIV through oral sex, however the risk is lower. When giving oral sex to a man, a person could become infected if the semen gets into any cuts, sores or receding gums they might have in their mouth. Giving oral sex to a woman is relatively low risk. Transmission could take place if infected fluids from a woman gets into the mouth of her partner. The likelihood of infection occurring might be increased if there is menstrual blood involved or if the woman is infected with another STI, which causes breaks in the skin, therefore i