The terms "HIV" and "AIDS" are sometimes used interchangeably. However, these two acronyms stand for two related, but different, conditions. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV causes AIDS, which stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A person can have HIV without having AIDS: AIDS is diagnosed when a person with HIV meets a certain set of criteria indicating an extremely weakened immune system. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, estimates that there are more than a million people in the United...
There is no cure for HIV infection and AIDS. However, with accurate and early diagnosis, the disease can be managed using anti-HIV drugs and life span of the infected individual may be prolonged considerably.
Anyone who puts himself at risk for HIV should get tested. There are different tests available and many resources for finding test locations.
By age 80, more than half of all Americans will develop a cataract, a clouding of the lens in the eye that diminishes vision. But while cataracts usually develop slowly as people age, younger people can also suffer from them. ...
The medical and scientific communities organize HIV infection into four distinct phases, of which AIDS is the final stage. Doctors diagnose full-blown AIDS using a variety of different methodologies, although this stage may not...
AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a chronic disease caused by human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. The virus attacks the immune system, leaving an individual vulnerable to infections and diseases.The late stages ...
Only an HIV test can definitively determine whether someone is infected with the virus and likely to develop AIDS.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines AIDS as a positive HIV test result with either a CD4 count under 200 or in conjunction with an opportunistic infection.
HIV/AIDS tests screens for and diagnoses an infection by either detecting the antibodies, or by testing virus levels in the body. Understanding the AIDS test can allow for early HIV diagnosis and treatment, which can improve lo...
If you are interested in being tested for HIV, there are a number of options available. HIV tests can be performed within a medical facility or in the comfort of your own home. Depending on the type of HIV test you choose, your...
The San Francisco AIDS Foundation states that the "window period" is the "time it takes for a person who has been infected with HIV to react to the virus by creating HIV antibodies. This is called seroconversion." In most cases...
Usually, an AIDS test is performed by taking a blood sample and evaluating it in a laboratory. To pull the sample, blood is drawn into a syringe via a needle injected into the arm. The blood sample is sent to a laboratory, wher...
The importance of HIV and AIDS testing in the past two decades has become a crucial concern for many communities. The deaths of millions of people have opened the world's eyes to this horrible epidemic. Luckily, doctors have d...
