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HIV Information |
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HIV – HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. This is the
virus that causes AIDS. HIV is different from most other viruses because it
attacks the immune system. The immune system gives our bodies the ability to
fight infections. HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell (T cells or
CD4 cells) that the immune system must have to fight disease. Learn more at:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.htm#hiv
AIDS - AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. It can take years for a person
infected with HIV, even without treatment, to reach this stage. Having AIDS
means that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point at which the
body has a difficult time fighting infection. When someone has one or more
specific infections, certain cancers, or a very low number of T cells, he or
she is considered to have AIDS. For more information, visit cdc.gov and
view questions and answers on HIV science .
Statistics – The HIV/AIDS epidemic in African American
communities is a continuing public health crisis for the United States. At the
end of 2006 there were an estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV
infection, of which almost half (46%) were black/African American.* While
blacks represent approximately 12 percent of the U.S. population, they continue
to account for a higher proportion of cases at all stages of HIV/AIDS—from
infection with HIV to death with AIDS—compared with members of other races and
ethnicities.**
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Blacks accounted for 49% of the estimated 35,962 AIDS cases diagnosed in the 50
states and the District of Columbia.***
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In 2007, the rates of AIDS diagnoses decreased among blacks but were still
higher than the rates of any other race/ethnicity. The rate of AIDS diagnoses
for black adults/adolescents were 10 times the rate for whites and nearly 3
times the rate for Hispanics. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black women was 22
times the rate for white women. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black men was
almost 8 times the rate for white men. ***
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Blacks accounted for 44% of the 455,636 people living with AIDS in the 50
states and District of Columbia.***
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By the end of 2007, 40% of the 562,793 persons with AIDS who died were black.
***
Data source: * CDC.
HIV Prevalence Estimates — United States, 2006. MMWR 2008; 57: 1073-1076.
** U.S. Census Bureau
Quick Facts. *** CDC.
HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report , 2007. Vol. 19. US Department of Health
and Human Services, CDC: 2009:1–63.
Risk Factors – You may be at increased risk for infection if
you have
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injected drugs or steroids, during which equipment (such as needles, syringes,
cotton, water) and blood were shared with others
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had unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex (that is, sex without using condoms)
with men who have sex with men, multiple partners, or anonymous partners
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exchanged sex for drugs or money
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been given a diagnosis of, or been treated for, hepatitis, tuberculosis (TB),
or a sexually transmitted disease (STD) such as syphilis
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received a blood transfusion or clotting factor during 1978–1985
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had unprotected sex with someone who has any of the risk factors listed above
Visit the CDC for more information at:
www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/
Guidelines for Early Detection – HIV infection or AIDS cannot
be diagnosed based on symptoms alone. The only way to know your true status is
to have an HIV test. Some people who become infected with HIV do not notice any
immediate change in their health. However, some suffer from a brief flu-like
illness within a few weeks of becoming infected, or develop a rash or swollen
glands. These symptoms do not indicate the development of AIDS, and they
usually disappear within a few days or weeks. Get more HIV and AIDS information
at www.AVERT.org .
Treatment Options – Physicians and other health-care providers
play a critical role in preventing and treating sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs). Guidelines for the treatment of STDs are available at cdc.gov. The 2006
Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment Guidelines emphasize treatment,
prevention strategies and diagnostic recommendations. Learn more now.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines 2006
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