About HIV/AIDS | HIV Basics | HIV/AIDS | CDC

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency ... Skipdirectlytositecontent Skipdirectlytopageoptions SkipdirectlytoA-Zlink AboutHIVEspañol(Spanish) Minus RelatedPages LearningthebasicsaboutHIVcankeepyouhealthyand preventHIVtransmission.YoucanalsodownloadmaterialstoshareorwatchvideosonbasicinformationaboutHIV. LowResolutionVideoWhatisHIV? HIV(humanimmunodeficiencyvirus)isavirusthatattacksthebody’simmunesystem.IfHIVisnottreated,itcanleadto AIDS (acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome). Thereiscurrentlynoeffectivecure.OncepeoplegetHIV,theyhaveitforlife. Butwithpropermedicalcare,HIVcanbecontrolled.PeoplewithHIVwhogeteffectiveHIVtreatment canlivelong,healthylivesandprotecttheirpartners. DownloadandShare WheredidHIVcomefrom? HIVinfectioninhumanscamefromatypeofchimpanzeeinCentralAfrica.StudiesshowthatHIVmayhavejumpedfromchimpanzeestohumansasfarbackasthelate1800s. Thechimpanzeeversionofthevirusiscalledsimianimmunodeficiencyvirus.Itwasprobablypassedtohumanswhenhumanshuntedthesechimpanzeesformeatandcameincontactwiththeirinfectedblood. Overdecades,HIVslowlyspreadacrossAfricaandlaterintootherpartsoftheworld.ThevirushasexistedintheUnitedStatessinceatleastthemidtolate1970s. TolearnmoreaboutthehistoryofHIVintheUnitedStatesandCDC’sresponsetotheepidemic,see CDC’sHIVandAIDSTimeline. HowdoIknowifIhaveHIV? TheonlywaytoknowifyouhaveHIVistogettested.KnowingyourHIVstatushelpsyoumakehealthydecisionstopreventgettingortransmittingHIV. DownloadandShare Aretheresymptoms? Formany,yes.Mostpeoplehaveflu-likesymptomswithin2to4weeksafterinfection.Symptomsmaylastforafewdaysorseveralweeks. Havingthesesymptomsalonedoesn’tmeanyouhaveHIV.Otherillnessescancausesimilarsymptoms. Somepeoplehavenosymptomsatall.TheonlywaytoknowifyouhaveHIVistogettested. WhatarethestagesofHIV? WhenpeoplewithHIVdon’tgettreatment,theytypicallyprogressthroughthreestages.ButHIVtreatment cansloworpreventprogressionofthedisease.WithadvancesinHIVtreatment,progressiontoStage3(AIDS)islesscommontodaythanintheearlyyearsofHIV. PeoplehavealargeamountofHIVintheirbloodandareverycontagious. Manypeoplehaveflu-likesymptoms. Ifyouhaveflu-likesymptomsandthinkyoumayhavebeenexposedtoHIV,gettested. ThisstageisalsocalledasymptomaticHIVinfectionorclinicallatency. HIVisstillactiveandcontinuestoreproduceinthebody. PeoplemaynothaveanysymptomsorgetsickduringthisphasebutcantransmitHIV. PeoplewhotakeHIVtreatmentasprescribedmaynevermoveintoStage3(AIDS). WithoutHIVtreatment,thisstagemaylastadecadeorlonger,ormayprogressfaster.Attheendofthisstage,theamountofHIVintheblood(viralload)goesupandthepersonmaymoveintoStage3(AIDS). ThemostseverestageofHIVinfection. PeoplewithAIDScanhaveahighviralloadandmayeasilytransmitHIVtoothers. PeoplewithAIDShavebadlydamagedimmunesystems.Theycangetanincreasingnumberofopportunisticinfections orotherseriousillnesses. WithoutHIVtreatment,peoplewithAIDStypicallysurviveaboutthreeyears. InfoSheet:HIV101ThisinfosheetprovidesbasicinformationaboutHIV. [PDF-566KB]HIVandAIDSTimelineThistimelinelooksatthehistoryofHIVandtheroleCDChasplayedinaddressingtheepidemic. OtherResources Gettailoredinformationaboutyourriskandlearnhowtoprotectyourself. DownloadresourcesfromtheLet’sStopHIVTogethercampaign. 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