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Resources - HIV and AIDS

What is AIDS and HIV?

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is caused by a virus called HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If you are infected with HIV, your body will try to fight the infection using "antibodies", special molecules that fight HIV. Testing for HIV involves a blood test which looks for the presence of these antibodies. If you have them in your blood, it means that you have HIV infection.

People who have the HIV antibodies are "HIV-Positive". Being HIV-positive, or having HIV disease places you at risk of developing AIDS. HIV disease slowly wears down the immune system, leaving you more susceptible to viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria infections, that wouldn't usually cause any problems. HIV disease then becomes AIDS when your immune system is seriously damaged. Many people are HIV-positive but don't get sick for many years, however.

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Contracting HIV

You can be infected with HIV from anyone who is infected, even if they don't look sick and even if they haven't tested HIV-positive yet. The blood, vaginal fluid, semen, and breast milk of people infected with HIV has enough of the virus in it to infect other people. Most people get the HIV virus by: having sex with an infected person; sharing a needle with someone who is infected; being born when their mother is infected, or drinking the breast milk of an infected woman. In the past, people could also contract AIDS when receiving a transfusion of infected blood, but now the blood supply is screened very carefully and the risk is extremely low.

There are no documented cases of HIV being transmitted by tears or saliva, but it is possible to be infected with HIV through oral sex or in rare cases through deep kissing, especially if you have open sores in your mouth or bleeding gums.

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Signs of HIV infection

You might not know if you are infected by HIV. Some people may get a fever, headache, sore muscles and joints, stomach ache, swollen lymph glands, or a skin rash for one or two weeks. Most people tend to assume these are symptoms of the flu. Some people have no symptoms, however.

The virus can multiply in your body for a few weeks or even months before your immune system responds. During this time, you won't test positive for HIV, but you can still infect other people. When your immune system responds, it starts to make antibodies. When this happens, you will test positive for HIV.

After the first flu-like symptoms, some people with HIV stay healthy for ten years or longer. But during this time, HIV is damaging your immune system.

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Further Information

Click on the links below for further information about HIV and AIDS, its treatment and support services available.

Student Services - support and services for students
Student Services Workshop

Further Information