wat does it feel like to have AIDS?
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My mom in law had it and died from it. It was hurtful and sad. She was in constant pain all the time.This is not something you should make fun of. I hope you are just curious for a good reason and not to be funny. But it is one of the worst things a person could every experience.
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The symptoms of AIDS are primarily the result of conditions that do not normally develop in individuals with healthy immune systems. Most of these conditions are infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that are normally controlled by the elements of the immune system that HIV damages. Opportunistic infections are common in people with AIDS [18]. Nearly every organ system is affected. People with AIDS also have an increased risk of developing various cancers such as Kaposi sarcoma, cervical cancer and cancers of the immune system known as lymphomas.\n\nAdditionally, people with AIDS often have systemic symptoms of infection like fevers, sweats (particularly at night), swollen glands, chills, weakness, and weight loss [19][20]. After the diagnosis of AIDS is made, the current average survival time with antiretroviral therapy is estimated to be now more than 5 years [21], but because new treatments continue to be developed and because HIV continues to evolve resistance to treatments, estimates of survival time are likely to continue to change. Without antiretroviral therapy, progression to death normally occurs within a year [8]. Most patients die from opportunistic infections or malignancies associated with the progressive failure of the immune system [22].\n\nThe rate of clinical disease progression varies widely between individuals and has been shown to be affected by many factors such as host susceptibility [9][10][13], health care and co-infections [8][22], and peculiarities of the viral strain [15][23][24]. Also, the specific opportunistic infections that AIDS patients develop depends in part on the prevalence of these infections in the geographic area in which the patient lives.
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Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections in humans resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).[1] The late stage of the condition leaves individuals prone to opportunistic infections and tumors. Although treatments for AIDS and HIV exist to slow the virus's progression, there is no known cure. HIV is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the bloodstream with a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, preseminal fluid, and breast milk.[2][3] This transmission can come in the form of anal, vaginal or oral sex, blood transfusion, contaminated hypodermic needles, exchange between mother and baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, or other exposure to one of the above bodily fluids.\n\nMost researchers believe that HIV originated in sub-Saharan Africa during the twentieth century;[4] it is now a pandemic, with an estimated 38.6 million people now living with the disease worldwide.[5] As of January 2006, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized on June 5, 1981, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. In 2005 alone, AIDS claimed an estimated 2.4–3.3 million lives, of which more than 570,000 were children.[5] A third of these deaths are occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and destroying human capital. Antiretroviral treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, but routine access to antiretroviral medication is not available in all countries.[6] HIV/AIDS stigma is more severe than that associated with other life-threatening conditions and extends beyond the disease itself to providers and even volunteers involved with the care of people living with HIV.\n\nTAKE CARE AND GOOD LUCK !
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Aids is a sexually transmitted disease AKA, STD. Aids is when you body suddenly in incapable to kill viruses that are easily transmitted and common, aids is a fatal disease because it highly effects your immune system.\n\nAids is hard to be transmitted, in fact you need to go out of your way to transmit aids. Although aids is a virus, aids can only be transmitted 2 ways, 1: when sharing un-cleaned needles with an infected person and their body fluid enters your bloodstream, and 2: during sexual intercourse with a partner whom is infected with aids. \n\nAlthough traces of aids can be found in natural body fluids (sweat, saliva, tears...) you cannot get aids by sharing a towel with an infected partner. In fact scientist and doctors believe that you need at least a quart of infected fluid in your bloodstream to achieve aids.Therefore, no you cannot get aids unless you have sex with an infected person, or you have several amounts of infected fluid in your bloodstream.
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WARNING: Do not use Yahoo! Answers as a medical diagnosis tool.  Always consult your doctor.\n\nWithin 7-10 days of intially being infected with HIV, most individuals (80 to 90 %) develop an acute syndrome characterised by flu-like symptoms of fever, malaise, lymphadenopathy, pharyngitis, headache, myalgia, and sometimes a rash (Kahn and Walker, 1998). Within an average of three weeks after transmission of HIV-1, a broad HIV-1 specific immune response occurs that includes seroconversion. Because of the nonspecific nature of these illnesses, it is often not recognized as a sign of HIV infection. Even if patients go to their doctors or a hospital, they will often be misdiagnosed as having one of the more common infectious diseases with the same symptoms. Since not all patients develop it, and since the same symptoms can be caused by many other common diseases, it cannot be used as an indicator of HIV infection. However, recognizing the syndrome is important because the patient is much more infectious during this period.\n\nHIV is transmitted various ways:\n Sexual route. The majority of HIV infections are acquired through unprotected sexual relations. Sexual transmission occurs when there is contact between sexual secretions of one partner with the rectal, genital or mouth mucous membranes of another. The probability of transmission per act is between 1 in 53 to 1 in 10,000 for the case of receptive vaginal sex (Pilcher et al., 2004), 1 in 8000 in the case of insertive vaginal sex, 1 in 1000 in the case of insertive anal sex, and between 1 in 100 to 1 in 30 in the case of receptive anal sex.\n\nBlood or blood product route. This transmission route is particularly important for intravenous drug users, hemophiliacs and recipients of blood transfusions and blood products. Health care workers (nurses, laboratory workers, doctors, etc) are also concerned, although more rarely. Also concerned by this route are people who give and receive tattoos and piercings.\n\nMother-to-child route. The transmission of the virus from the mother to the child can occur in utero during the last weeks of pregnancy and at childbirth. Breast feeding also presents a risk of infection for the baby. In the absence of treatment, the transmission rate between the mother and child was 20%. However, where treatment is available, combined with the availability of Cesarian section, this has been reduced to 1%.\n\nHIV has been found in the saliva, tears and urine of infected individuals, but due to the low concentration of virus in these biological liquids, the risk is considered to be negligible.\n\nAIDS is the most severe manifestation of infection with HIV. Acute HIV infection progresses over time to clinical latent HIV infection and then to early symptomatic HIV infection and later, to AIDS, which is identified on the basis of certain infections.\n\nYou can get HIV at-home test kits at Walgreen's.
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I don't have AIDS or HIV, so I really couldn't tell you. The friends that I have had with the disease did act differently, they acted sad, mad, confused, and sick. Then they died.\n\nPeople live longer now with HIV/AIDS, so I would guess they have longer to adjust to it and maybe even come to terms and act "normal" again. Hopefully they don't share blood with others anymore. I can hope.
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The first symptoms tend to be either the development of Kaposi's Sarcoma, Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (a rare kind of pneumonia that only affects immunocompromised people), and oral thrush (a yeast infection in the mouth). Also, having an illness that just won't seem to go away can be a sign. If you suspect you have AIDS, see a doctor right away.
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The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). ‘Acquired’ means not inherited. ‘Immune deficiency’ means a breakdown in the body’s immune system. ‘Syndrome’ refers to a range of diseases that may be associated with another disease.\n\nIn this case, diseases that take advantage of the body’s weakened immune system are used to define the onset of AIDS. In Australia, HIV is most commonly spread by sexual intercourse without a condom and through sharing needles, syringes and other injecting equipment.\n\nSymptoms\nSymptoms of HIV are common to a number of other illnesses. If you think you have been put at risk of getting HIV, or if you have any of the signs below (or a combination of them) for a month or longer, you should consult your doctor. Symptoms can include: \n\nFlu-like symptoms \nExtreme and constant tiredness \nFevers, chills and night sweats \nRapid weight loss for no known reason \nSwollen lymph glands in the neck, underarm or groin area \nWhite spots or unusual marks in the mouth \nSkin marks or bumps, either raised or flat, usually painless and purplish \nContinuous coughing or a dry cough \nDiarrhoea \nDecreased appetite.\nHow it is spread \nSomeone who has HIV may not have any symptoms, but they carry the virus and could pass it on through blood or body fluids. HIV can be spread in a number of ways, including: \nUnprotected vaginal or anal sex with someone who has HIV \nSharing injecting equipment and needles with someone who has HIV \nFrom a mother who has HIV to a child during pregnancy, birth or via breastfeeding \nUnprotected oral sex with someone who has HIV (this is less common).\nHIV can’t be spread by social contact\nThere is no evidence to suggest that HIV is spread by ordinary social or family contact such as hugging, shaking hands, sharing household items or through toilets seats, swimming pools or pets. HIV doesn’t live long outside of the body. It can be killed by ordinary household bleach, or soap and warm water.\n\nSafe sex explained\nSafe sex means sex where semen, vaginal secretions or blood are not exchanged between sexual partners. Some safe sexual activities include: \nMutual masturbation \nTouching \nCuddling \nBody-to-body rubbing \nErotic massage. \nCondoms \nUsing condoms properly during intercourse (anal and vaginal) will greatly reduce the risk of spreading HIV. Condoms must be used correctly and with plenty of lubricant. Water-based lubricant should be used, as other types of lubricants will cause condoms to break. Female condoms are also available and should also be used with lubricants. \n\nSafe sex can prevent infection\nHIV can be spread by unprotected anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV. Safe sex is recommended if either partner has HIV or if either partner is unsure of whether they have HIV. Other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) such as herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhoea can also be spread by unprotected sex. If either partner has an STI, or if either partner is unsure of whether they have an STI, safe sex is also recommended. HIV infection is more readily acquired or transmitted if either partner is infected with another STI.\n\nHIV and oral sex\nUnprotected oral sex is low risk for spreading HIV but using a condom or avoiding ejaculation into the mouth is recommended when either partner has ulcers or bleeding gums, or has recently brushed or flossed their teeth. Condom use may also prevent the spread of other STIs such as herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhoea. These STIs may be spread more easily by unprotected oral sex.\n\nHIV and deep kissing\nOnly very small amounts of HIV are found in the saliva of people who have HIV. For you to get HIV, a lot of saliva would need to get into your blood via ulcers or bleeding gums. Deep kissing is a low risk behaviour for spreading HIV.\n\nHIV and blood products\nSince May 1985, all blood donations in Australia have been tested for HIV. This means that blood transfusion
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There is no cure for AIDS at this time.\n\nWHAT DOES "AIDS" MEAN?\nAIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome:\n\n\nAcquired means you can get infected with it; \nImmune Deficiency means a weakness in the body's system that fights diseases. \nSyndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease. \n\nAIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If you get infected with HIV, your body will try to fight the infection. It will make "antibodies," special molecules to fight HIV. \n\nA blood test for HIV looks for these antibodies. If you have them in your blood, it means that you have HIV infection. People who have the HIV antibodies are called "HIV-Positive." Fact Sheet 102 has more information on HIV testing.\n\nBeing HIV-positive, or having HIV disease, is not the same as having AIDS. Many people are HIV-positive but don't get sick for many years. As HIV disease continues, it slowly wears down the immune system. Viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria that usually don't cause any problems can make you very sick if your immune system is damaged. These are called "opportunistic infections." See Fact Sheet 500 for an overview of opportunistic infections. \n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nHOW DO YOU GET AIDS?\nYou don't actually "get" AIDS. You might get infected with HIV, and later you might develop AIDS. You can get infected with HIV from anyone who's 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:\n\n\n\nhaving sex with an infected person \nsharing a needle (shooting drugs) with someone who's infected \nbeing born when their mother is infected, or drinking the breast milk of an infected woman \nGetting a transfusion of infected blood used to be a way people got AIDS, but now the blood supply is screened very carefully and the risk is extremely low.\n\nThere 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. For more information, see the following Fact Sheets:\n\n\n150: Stopping the Spread of HIV \n151: Safer Sex Guidelines \n152: How Risky Is It? \nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 million to 1.2 million U.S. residents are living with HIV infection, about one-quarter of whom are unaware of their infection. Each year, there are about 40,000 new infections. Of these, about 70 percent are among men and 30 percent among women. \n\nIn the mid-1990s, AIDS was a leading cause of death. However, newer treatments have cut the AIDS death rate significantly. For more information, see the US Government fact sheet at http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/aidsstat.htm. \n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nWHAT HAPPENS IF I'M HIV POSITIVE?\nYou might not know if you get infected by HIV. Some people get fever, headache, sore muscles and joints, stomach ache, swollen lymph glands, or a skin rash for one or two weeks. Most people think it's the flu. Some people have no symptoms. Fact Sheet 103 has more information on the early stage of HIV infection.\n\nThe virus will 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 infect other people.\n\nWhen your immune system responds, it starts to make antibodies. When this happens, you will test positive for HIV.\n\nAfter the first flu-like symptoms, some people with HIV stay healthy for ten years or longer. But during this time, HIV is damaging your immun
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AIDS is not a virus....HIV is a virus that is known to cause AIDS....You can't have AIDS, if you don't have HIV.  A person may go a long time know they have HIV and having no symptoms.  This does not mean that they won't later have symptoms or that they won't get AIDS.  She could possibly harm people she has sex with.  This is a weird question.  Why are you asking this?
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Hi!!\n\n"HIV is the virus that may causes AIDS. HIV belongs to a subset of viruses called retroviruses or slow virus. \n\n\n \nThis is because it is a progressive disease. HIV is entered through the body through the mucous membranes or thru blood to blood contact. \n\n\nOnce you get the virus it slowly begins to attack the immune system, killing off healthy immune system cells. The deterioration and destruction of immune function leads to AIDS. \n\n\nAIDS is the final stage of the HIV infection. A person is said to have AIDS when the cd4 counts drops below 200 and or a person has 1 or more opportunistic infections. The OIs, as they are called, are normal infections that a healthy person would be able to fight off. \n\n\nThe four stages of the HIV infection are as follows: \n\n\n1) The period following infection is called the window. It is called this because it reflect the window of time between infection and that which antibodies are devlop in a person. The HIV test looks for antibodies not the virus. \n\n\n2) The second stage is called seroconversion. This is when the body begins to develop lots of antibodies to fight off the virus in the body. During this period a person may have flu like sympton. Also during this period is said to be very infectious. \n\n\n3) The third stage is called symptom free. During this period a person may have no sympton what so ever. This can last any where from 6 months to well over ten years. The medical world is not sure why some people are living sympton free for so long. \n\n\n4) The final stage is called AIDS. This is the period when TCELL drop to below 200 and the OI"S are present. \n\n\nSo, as we see, HIV is a infection that will leads to AIDS. \n\n\nThe body immune system is slowly being attacked until it is destroyed and can't fight off infections. Once this happens a person is said to have AIDS. AIDS is the final stage."\n\nI hope the above answers your question.\n\n>>> Naveen Kumar
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I'm not really sure, but I work in a hospital and people lived until their 40's contracting aids, is sad though, because not allot of people, not even their family members come to visit them, even when they die, I never see anyone. What ignorant people we have this days....I personally would not have a problem having a friend with aids, I think true friends stick till the end! I always talk to them when I get a chance and allot of them make mistakes, is not only people that are gay, there are allot of ways in getting aids, like blood transfusion, even your partner(that's why is better to test yourself before going any further; since condoms are not so reliable. I wish people just had more sympathy for others than being more self center....
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Actually, nothing happens to a person w/ HIV......  It's only when it turns into full-blown AIDS that the body's immune system is compromised, then the person could get sick and die from any one of a zillion diseases, because the body cannot fight them off.
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Most people know that. And most people with AIDS/HIV are very responsible. I feel for them.\nWhat I don't like though......it is those people WHO KNOW they can infect others but do not care..\nSame with other other diseases really..Herpes, STDs etc..
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There r many, here is a website.\nhttp://www.hivsymptoms.org/aids-symptoms.html
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Possible. One can have HIV infection from infected blood or sexual fluids. If you happen to touch  an infected blood or sexual fluid and you accidentally touch your wound (if you have one) or you happen to touch the part of your sex organ that is most sensitive to the virus (by having sex with yourself as you said??), then you might get HIV...Just making an analysis.
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bein HIV positive it didnt mean you have AIDS, that happens when your defense cells get to a little number and you get sick, (pneumonia, kaposi, lynphoma, diarrea, etc) Magic is usin an antiviral tratment it stops the progression of the disease and keeps him wit a high count of inmune cells, eventually if the disease progres (because the virus mutates and grow again) he will have AIDS