HOW DOES HIV SPREAD DURING SEX? UNSAFE ACTIVITIES SAFER ACTIVITIES SAFE ACTIVITIES WHAT IF BOTH PEOPLE ARE ALREADY INFECTED? KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING SET YOUR LIMITS THE BOTTOM LINE HOW DOES HIV SPREAD DURING SEX? To spread HIV during sex, HIV infection in blood or sexual fluids must be transmitted to someone. Sexual fluids come […]
STOPPING THE SPREAD OF HIV
HOW DO YOU GET INFECTED WITH HIV? HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS? WHAT IF I’VE BEEN EXPOSED? THE BOTTOM LINE HOW DO YOU GET INFECTED WITH HIV? The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is not spread easily. You can only get HIV if you get infected blood or sexual fluids into your system. You […]
WHAT IS AIDS?
WHAT DOES “AIDS” MEAN? HOW DO YOU GET AIDS? WHAT HAPPENS IF I’M HIV POSITIVE? HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE AIDS? IS THERE A CURE FOR AIDS? 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 […]
AIDS Background Information
Background Information 101. What is AIDS? A basic description of the official definition of AIDS. [Revised: September 5, 2006] 102. HIV Testing A description of HIV antibody testing, when to take the test, and what test results mean. [Revised: April 12, 2007] 103. Acute HIV Infection It is not easy to identify people with acute […]
TREATMENT AFTER EXPOSURE TO HIV
WHAT IS POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS? WHO SHOULD USE PEP? SHOULD PEP BE USED FOR NON-OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE? HOW IS PEP TAKEN? WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS? THE BOTTOM LINE WHAT IS POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS? Prophylaxis means disease prevention. Post-exposure prophylaxis (or PEP) means taking antiretroviral medications (ARVs) as soon as possible after exposure to HIV, so that the […]
Study Shows Nevirapine A New Treatment Option For HIV-Positive Infants
A new study shows that HIV-positive babies with stabilized infections “will do just fine switching to a regime of nevirapine, a reverse transcriptase inhibitor,” from a more expensive protease inhibitor, Scientific American’s “Observations” blog reports (Harmon, 9/7).
I still have more questions. Can I talk to someone?
You most certainly can! You can call the CDC National AIDS Hotline at (800) 342-2437 anytime, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. They are there to help you with your questions, to provide you with further information, and to listen. Additionally, most states also provide their own state AIDS hotlines – although […]
Where can I get printed materials about HIV/AIDS for my school project or organization?
The CDC National AIDS Hotline can help you with requests for printed materials. Call them and tell them who you are and what you need. If you are doing a school project, tell them. If you are giving a presentation to some other kind of group, tell them that. The more they know about what […]
Do the new drugs I hear about cure you?
The new drugs you are referring to are a class of anti-HIV drugs known as protease inhibitors. There is NO cure for AIDS, but these drugs are helping to prolong the lives of many people with AIDS and delaying the onset of AIDS in many people with HIV. You should consult your own health care
How safe is the U.S. blood supply?
The U.S. blood supply is among the safest in the world. Nearly all people infected with HIV through blood transfusions received those transfusions before 1985, the year it became possible to test donated blood for HIV. The Public Health Service has recommended a multifaceted approach to blood safety in the United States that includes stringent