Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, is a disease that is caused by a virus. The virus that causes AIDS is Human Immune-Deficiency Virus (HIV). HIV attacks the immune system, which is the body's natural defense against infections. People with AIDS become ill, when the immune system is too weak (immune - compromised) to fight off other infections.

Symptoms and Health Effects
"HIV-positive" refers to people that are infected with HIV. There are generally no symptoms of HIV infection. Once the immune system becomes damaged, the individual is likely to experience weight loss, persistent low-grade fever, night sweats, and flu-like symptoms. As the individual's immune/defense system becomes less able to ward off diseases, the infected person will likely to come down with pneumonias, intestinal disorders, and fungal infections. These so-called "opportunistic infections" can be treated with medication. An HIV-positive person is given a diagnosis of "AIDS" after developing an opportunistic infection.

Mode of Transmission
HIV is a blood borne disease. This means that HIV lives in blood and it can also live in any body fluid that contains blood. These include semen from men, and all vaginal/cervical fluids from women. The virus is also found in internal body fluids that surround the heart, the lungs, and bone joints (like the shoulder and elbows), as well as spinal fluid. HIV is NOT normally found in urine, feces, or saliva. However, because of injury or illness, some of these substances may be contaminated with blood.

HIV is spread when infected blood, semen, vaginal/cervical fluid or other infectious materials pass into another person's body. The virus is most often spread through unprotected sexual activity with an infected man or woman, or by drug users sharing contaminated needles.

Who is at risk?
The workers with the greatest risk of becoming infected at work are those with jobs that involve routine exposure to blood, and other body fluids. Healthcare workers can be exposed to HIV from needle-sticks and cuts and nicks caused by sharp objects. Infection can also occur if workers have contact with blood or infectious body fluids through broken, cut or torn skin. There is a risk of infection if workers are splashed with blood or other body fluids that make contact with naturally wet skin in the eyes, nose, or mouth. Corrections staff, law enforcement, and public safety workers such as emergency medical personnel are at risk through exposure to blood or fluids infected with blood.

Preventive Measures
It would be misleading to say that there are ways a person who is HIV-positive can be sure of avoiding these diseases; no such promise can be made. But if you are HIV-positive, there are steps you can take that may help.

Some are sensible precautions everyone interested in preserving and improving health should take; others are more special:
· Eat a well-balanced diet: good nutrition plays an important part in resisting disease
· Exercise in moderation, to the extent that you can
· Be vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia, as well as against viral influenza, which can sometimes lead to pneumonia. (Public-health authorities recommend that children with AIDS or positive HIV tests should receive all the standard childhood vaccines, except that they should be given injected polio vaccine instead of the oral type.)

Faithfully follow any medical advice you have received, whether for treatment or for disease prevention. If you have questions about medications or other matters, ask your doctor.