A virus is one of the tiniest germs that can cause disease. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the cause of the disease called AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).

• HIV attacks the immune system. Immune cells produced by the body keep us healthy by fighting off viruses and bacteria. HIV attacks and reproduces inside immune cells. As immune cells die, more of the virus is released in the body.
• Symptoms may take years to appear. The body first responds to HIV by producing up to two billion new immune cells a day. This allows many people infected with HIV to stay healthy for years. Without symptoms, people may not even know they are infected, though they can infect others.
• HIV takes its toll. Over time, the immune system is weakened and can not keep up with the growth of HIV. Immune cell production slows, leaving the person at risk of life-threatening infections and cancers. The infected person develops AIDS.

• Blood
• Semen
• Vaginal secretions
• Breast milk
  

• Unprotected sex (vaginal, anal, and oral) with an HIV infected person-this can be male to male, male to female, female to male, and female to female.
• Sharing needles or syringes from an infected person. This includes needles, syringes or works used for body piercing, tattooing, vitamins, insulin or other drugs.
• An infected woman can pass the virus to her baby during pregnancy, birth, or breast-feeding.

• Breaks, cuts, or sores in the skin.
• The moist lining of the vagina, penis, rectum, or even the mouth where practically invisible cuts and sores may be present.
• Needlestick

• All donors are carefully screened
• All blood and blood products are tested for HIV and other viruses before being used.
• You can't get HIV by giving blood. The needles used for blood donations are sterile, used only once, then destroyed.

HIV is passed by contact with infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk. Having everyday contact in the workplace, school, home, or community with a person with HIV does not put you at risk of getting infected.

HIV is NOT spread through:

• simple kissing
• touching
• sneezing
• coughing
• sweat, tears, saliva, urine
• handshaking, hand-holding, hugging
• sharing computers, equipment, books, other supplies
• sharing silverware, cups, dishes.

Casual contact doesn't place you at risk. You CAN NOT contract HIV from:

• swimming pools
• bathtubs or hottubs
• showers
• toilet seats
• drinking fountains
• telephones
• eating food handled, prepared, or served by somebody with HIV
• sitting next to an infected person
• attending school, church, or public places with HIV-infected people
• giving blood or having a blood test
• insect or animal bites.
  

Don't be afraid. Fear of people with HIV perpetuates the stigma, myths, and misconceptions associated with HIV/AIDS. People living with HIV/AIDS need support and love. When you learn the facts about HIV you can protect yourself from the real risks and provide support to those living with the virus.

HIV is passed from person to person because of what people do — not because of who they are, where they came from, or where they live.

To reduce your risk of infection:

• Postpone or abstain from sex.
• Abstain from unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person or with someone whose HIV status you don't know.
• Have sex only with one steady, uninfected partner. Get tested together for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and get your test results together before becoming sexually involved.
• Always use a latex condom from start to finish during any type of sex. Latex condoms aren't 100% effective. However, used the right way, every time, latex condoms can greatly reduce the risks of contracting or transmitting HIV. Dental dams, saran wrap and polyurethane male and female condoms are method which may afford some protection during any sexual contact. However, research has not yet determined the efficacy of these items for reducing HIV transmission.
• Don't use drugs or alcohol. They can impair your immune system and your judgment.
• Never share "injecting drug works" — needles, syringes, or cookers for any reason.

It's hard to be absolutely sure what risks another person has taken. You can't tell by looking at someone that they are HIV infected. They may look and feel perfectly healthy, but they can still pass on the virus.
Unfortunately, some people:

• Deny they're infected
• Don't realize they take part in risky behaviors
• Don't know their HIV status because they haven't been tested
• Don't know they're infected because they have no symptoms. Remember, it only takes one unsafe sexual act or risky behavior to become infected with HIV.

Get tested if you've had:

• Unprotected sex in the last ten years with someone whose HIV status you did not know.
• Sex with someone with HIV or AIDS.
• Any sexually transmitted infection.
• Injected drugs or shared drug work with someone (needles, syringes, cookers)

If you are from the local James City County or Williamsburg area, please contact WAN for a list of test sites (220-4606). WAN offers free, anonymous HIV counseling and testing using the Home Access HIV Kit. Call for more information or to set up an appointment for counseling and testing.

You can call your local health department, doctor or the CDC National AIDS Hotline (1-800-342-AIDS) for more information and locations. Tests may be:

• Confidential
• Your name and test result is recorded. Results are kept secret according to individual state laws.
• Anonymous (not available in all states). No one knows your name and you're the only one who can tell anyone else your test results.

Ask your testing center counselor about the confidentiality protections offered by law in your state.

• HIV testing is highly accurate. HIV tests use samples of blood or oral fluid to detect the presence of HIV antibodies, not the virus itself.
• Blood or oral fluid that tests positive for HIV antibodies is re-tested. If positive again, a third test is done by another method to confirm the result.
• An at-home test kit for self-testing is available. You send your own blood sample to a testing lab and obtain results anonymously by telephone.

Treatment methods show great promise for controlling HIV and protecting your immune system, especially when treated promptly. For additional information or treatment options, contact your local AIDS Resource Center or AIDS Service organization to find a health care provider who is an HIV/AIDS specialist.

Monitoring your immune system:

• One of the blood cells infected by HIV is the CD4 cell. The number of CD4 cells in your blood shows how strong your immune system is.
• The CD4 cell count test is used to check on the progress of HIV infection.

• Fatigue, headaches, fever, and other flu-like symptoms persisting longer than two weeks
• Unexplained weight loss
• Bruising or easy bleeding
• Thick coating on the tongue or throat
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Night sweats
• Persistent cough
• Nausea and diarrhea that isn't stopped with medication
• Sores in the mouth, nose, or anus
• Skin rashes.

Many health conditions have similar symptoms, so don't panic. See a doctor and if you've been at risk, get tested.

Symptoms of advanced AIDS. As the disease progresses, these symptoms may appear:

• Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
• Mental illness or some loss of mental ability
• Toxoplasmosis (infection of the brain)
• Cervical cancer in women
• Reddish-purple spots on the skin (Kaposi's sarcoma)
• Cytomegalovirus infection (causes blindness or attacks the body's organs).