“May all be happy, may all be healed, may all be at peace and may no one ever suffer."
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a serious and often fatal condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV attacks and weakens the immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight off infections and diseases. Over time, as the immune system becomes progressively weaker, a person with HIV may develop AIDS.
AIDS is usually diagnosed when a person with HIV has developed one or more opportunistic infections or cancers, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, tuberculosis, or pneumonia, that typically do not affect people with healthy immune systems.
HIV is primarily spread through contact with infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast milk. This can occur through unprotected sexual contact, sharing needles or other injection equipment, or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
There is no cure for HIV or AIDS, but antiretroviral therapy (ART) can help manage the infection and slow the progression of the disease. ART involves taking a combination of medications that work together to suppress the virus and boost the immune system. With proper treatment and care, many people with HIV can live long, healthy lives.
Prevention is key in reducing the spread of HIV and AIDS. This can include practicing safe sex, using sterile needles for injection drug use, and getting tested regularly for HIV. Treatment as prevention (TasP), which involves starting antiretroviral therapy as soon as possible after diagnosis, can also help reduce the transmission of HIV to others.