 AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Though this disease was first thought to infect only homosexuals and IV drug users who share needles, it is of course now known that anyone exchanging bodily fluids (blood, semen, vaginal secretions) can get this infection. Nearly 62,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with HIV (2018). Most of the continued spread of HIV is caused by unprotected heterosexual sex. The HIV virus slowly weakens the immune system by infecting and killing white blood cells. While this is happening, there are no obvious symptoms that the person has been infected. After the immune system is significantly weakened (sometimes this can take years), the person will begin to suffer from various infections and cancers. It is at this point that the person is said to have AIDS. The symptoms of HIV and AIDS depend on how damaged a person's immune system is. When someone first gets infected by HIV, they may have flu-like symptoms, which soon go away. Most people have no idea they have contracted HIV until they are diagnosed, and often this doesn't occur until they begin to suffer from the various infections and cancers that their weakened immune system can no longer fight off. Early diagnosis is critical to the management of this disease, especially if you have any of the risk factors, including unprotected heterosexual intercourse. Only blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, or other body fluids containing blood have been proven to spread HIV. (It is apparently unlikely that one can catch HIV through contact with saliva). You can't catch HIV from talking to, working with, shaking hands, hugging, or kissing people who have HIV or AIDS. Early treatment with new anti-viral medicines can slow the progression of the disease, and some of the infections can be prevented with antibiotics, but there is no cure for AIDS. Much research is being done to find a vaccine to prevent non-infected people from getting HIV, as well as finding better treatments for those already infected. However, while improving treatments are prolonging the lives of those infected, HIV infection is still considered to be nearly 100% fatal. GONORRHEA | GENITAL WARTS | LICE & CRABS | SCABIES | HEPATITIS | HIV/AIDS |