HIV and AIDS

HIV and AIDS are two separate conditions. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and is the virus that attacks the body’s immune system making it more difficult for your body to handle diseases and infections. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is developed after contracting HIV when the body’s immune system has deteriorated to such an extent that an illness contracted can be particularly debilitating and potentially fatal.

Many people confuse these two terminologies with each other and it can be confusing when trying to pin point if a person has HIV or AIDS. Many countries differ in their opinion of when a person classifies as having developed AIDS. Usually, when a blood test confirms less than 200 CD4 cells present in a micro liter of blood the person is diagnosed as having AIDS although they can also be diagnosed with AIDS if they have contracted numerous conditions or diseases as a result of their low immunity if it is deemed highly unlikely to have contracted them otherwise. HIV does not necessarily mean you will develop AIDS but you cannot develop AIDS unless you have contracted HIV. Many people live on for many years without developing AIDS and can die without ever being diagnosed with the syndrome. However, this does not exclude them from dying as a direct result of HIV it is just that the severity of the condition does not qualify them for an AIDS diagnosis.

It is impossible to determine if or when a person will develop AIDS if they have HIV. HIV and AIDS can often be a package deal for sufferers but this is not always the case, and people can live for weeks or years before developing AIDS.