HIV: HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. This is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV is different from most other viruses because it attacks the immune system. The immune system gives our bodies the ability to fight infections. HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell (T cells or CD4 cells) that the immune system must have to fight disease.
AIDS: AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. It can take years for a person infected with HIV, even without treatment, to reach this stage. Having AIDS means that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point at which the body has a difficult time fighting infections. When someone has one or more of these infections and a low number of T cells, he or she has AIDS.
Each year, an estimated 56,300 Americans are newly infected with HIV – in part because 25 percent of the more than one million Americans who are believed to be living with HIV don’t even know they are infected.
HIV testing is a key component in controlling the spread of HIV infection. For those who test positive for HIV, awareness can help them take steps to protect their own health and that of their partners – thus avoiding further transmission.
For those testing negative, the testing process is an opportunity to get informed and take action to avoid risks and stay uninfected.
Everyone should know their HIV status, and the only way to know is to get tested for HIV. While there are symptoms of HIV, those systems are also associated with other types of illness. Because some behaviors increase individual risk for HIV infection, and if you continue these behaviors, you should be tested regularly. It is also recommended that all women who are pregnant or are planning on becoming pregnant should be tested for HIV.
Once HIV enters the body, the body starts to produce antibodies – substances the immune system creates after infection. Most HIV tests look for these antibodies rather than the virus itself. There are many different kinds of HIV tests, including rapid tests and home test kits. All HIV tests approved by the US government are very good at finding HIV.
For more information view Questions and Answers on HIV testing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
