HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
HIV is a virus that attacks your immune system. Over time, your immune system
may grow weak and you can suffer from extreme weight loss or become sick with
different symptoms of illness, such as fevers, night sweats, diarrhea, or swollen
lymph nodes.
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
AIDS is the advanced stage of the HIV disease. Once HIV infects and destroys
blood cells, your immune system can no longer defend your body from infections,
diseases or cancers that can kill you.
For more information about the origin of HIV/AIDS, read the FAQ, “Where
did HIV/ AIDS come from?”
How do you get HIV or AIDS?
HIV is a transmissible infection, which means you get HIV from another person.
In Canada, the
two most common means of transmission are unsafe sex practices and risky activities,
such as sharing needles to inject drugs.
AIDS is a disease; it is NOT a transmissible infection. You can’t catch AIDS
from another person. You develop AIDS after being infected with HIV.
For more information about how you can get HIV, read the FAQ, “How
do you get (or not get) HIV?”
Which people are the most vulnerable to getting HIV?
In Canada,
by having unprotected sex and sharing needles to inject drugs, some people are
at greater risk for
HIV infection. These Canadians who are at higher risk include gay men (including
men who have sex with men who do not self-identify as gay men), injection drug
users, Aboriginal Peoples, prison inmates, youth, women and people from countries
where HIV is very common in the population.
Knowledge is the best way to avoid getting infected. For more information
about how to prevent HIV infection, read the FAQs, “Which
sexual acts can transmit HIV?” and, “Are
there risks of getting HIV if I drink or use drugs?”
Additional resources
Canadian HIV/AIDS Information Centre
Diseases and Conditions;
AIDS – Health Canada
HIV/AIDS Epi Updates – Public Health Agency of Canada
What
makes people vulnerable to HIV infection? – Canadian
Health Network
For more information, contact your local AIDS service
organization or health care practitioner.
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