Health workers, wearing T-shirts with the slogan ‘Born Free from HIV’, attend the national launch of the Mother-Baby Pack, in the city of Kabwe. © UNICEF/NYHQ2011-0130/Christine Nesbitt
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The virus attacks cells in your body that fight off infection and keep the body healthy. When HIV has damaged the immune system, someone is said to have AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome. As HIV takes hold the body produces antibodies in an attempt to fight the virus.
AIDS stands for 'acquired immunodeficiency syndrome' and is a surveillance definition based on signs, symptoms, infections, and cancers associated with the deficiency of the immune system that stems from infection with HIV.
Most people infected with HIV do not know that they have become infected, because they do not feel ill immediately after infection. However, some people may experience “Acute retroviral syndrome” 1-6 weeks after the HIV infection has happened. Symptoms of this syndrome are:
Whether or not HIV infection causes initial symptoms, an HIV-infected person is highly infectious during this initial period and can transmit the virus to another person. The only way to determine whether HIV is present in a person's body is by testing for HIV antibodies or for HIV itself.
The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection. It is defined by the existence of more than 20 opportunistic infections or HIV-related cancers.
The length of time can vary widely between individuals. The majority of people infected with HIV, if not treated, develop signs of HIV-related illness within 5-10 years, but the time between infection with HIV and being diagnosed with AIDS can be 10–15 years, sometimes longer.
The information on these pages is adapted from UNAIDS Fast Facts about HIV.
Abstinence, education and responsible behaviour can prevent the spread of AIDS even if it is a widespread pandemic. Talking about sex and sexually transmitted infections is often embarrassing due to their intimate nature. But being sexually active requires responsibility and the maturity to discuss...
Project ZERO - ‘zero new HIV and TB infections, zero discrimination & stigma and zero...
For the first time in the history of the SA AIDS conference, we will be running a division of the...
We are very proud to welcome two new countries to the Voices of Youth Connect team: South Africa a...
Source: http://www.joomag.com/magazine/international-aids-candelelight-memorial-2013/049...
Every third Sunday of May, people celebrate the International Aids Candlelight Memorial. This even...
Casual Sex is sex between two people who sometimes don’t know each other and are just sleeping together for the fun of it. When two youngsters are involved in casual sex, almost always 1of them becomes emotionally attached. They think that by having casual sex, more could result from the physical...
Despite being a Bhutanese and having lived in Bhutan for over 17 years I was shocked at finding out about the Night- hunting practice that has prevailed for a long time now. Night hunting is basically an activity whereby men gain entrance into female adolescents house at night to engage in sexual ac...
YOUNG DIGITAL POWER 4 SOCIAL GOOD An international contest for a global change. Promoting digital t...
Source: http://www.unicef.org/lastchild
Source: http://www.unicef.org/lastchild Was I the only person who did not know about the Millennium...
After more than two years of war the situation in Syria becomes too bad. There is no water , no elec...
Human Rights 
Poverty and Hunger 
Education 
Environment 
Health 
HIV & AIDS 
Violence, War and Conflict 