Glossary
HIV and AIDS
HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a vicious virus that attacks the immune system, leaving patients prone to becoming seriously ill when exposed to AIDS related illnesses and infections.
AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency syndrome, is the broad term given to illnesses and infections that are experienced by people living with HIV. HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids and damages the body's immune system, decreasing its ability to fight illnesses and infections. When diagnosed and managed early, patients with HIV are unlikely to experience AIDS related illnesses, however in other cases when HIV has severely damaged the body even a common cold can be fatal.
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