AIDS is a short for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and it's a disease that makes it hard for the human body to fight the infectious diseases. AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus as it damages the part of the body's defenses against the infections.
When the HIV is transmitted from the infected person's body to another person's body then the other person also gets infected. The transmission of HIV from one person's body to another person's body takes place when the infected body fluid such as semen, vaginal fluid or the blood is passed from one person's body to another person's body. HIV is usually spread through the sexual intercourse when one of the partners is infected with the virus.
The virus can spread through the secretions from the cervix which is a part of the female's uterus, secretions from the vagina, cuts on the rectum, penis, vagina, skin around the genitals and mouth. Usually, these cuts are so small that an individual might not be aware of them and this unawareness can result in the transmission of the virus from one person's body to another person's body. Also, the guys and the girls who have a discharge i.e. an abnormal fluid coming from the penis or the vagina have a high risk of getting infected.
Sharing needles with others can also result in the transmission of the virus from one person's body to another person's body. People who use drugs and inject themselves with drugs are also at the high risk of getting infected as they usually share their needles with others. The needles shared between people for taking the steroids or the intravenous drugs can become a cause of the AIDS.
If a person has HIV and he gives his needle to some other person then the other person will also get infected with HIV after he uses that needle. The virus is available in the blood which is present on the needle and upon sharing, the virus gets transmitted. Other serious infections are also passed when people share needles among themselves.
Even a newborn baby can also get infected by the HIV virus if the mother is infected. The virus can transmit before the baby is born, during the birth or even through breastfeeding. So, a baby is always at the risk of getting infected by the virus if the mother is infected. That's why pregnant women are advised to go through the HIV test. An infected woman undergoing the treatment for HIV is less likely to spread the virus to her baby when compared to an infected woman who's not undergoing the treatment for HIV. Special medicines are also provided to the babies born to infected mothers so as to prevent the HIV infection.
Usually, people are not aware of the fact that they suffer from HIV and they then spread it unknowingly. It can take many years for the symptoms to develop and by that time, he or she might have infected a number of people. So, it's advisable to use latex condoms during sex. A condom protects you by becoming a barrier to the body fluids that can be easily shared during the sexual activity. Using a latex condom every time during sex protects you and you should also make sure that you don't use a condom twice as this can infect you instead of protecting you. |
