overview.htm

[Jim Choate <ravage@einstein.ssz.com>]

     _________________________________________________________________
   
                             OVERVIEW OF HIV/AIDS
                                       
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   Some important facts about the evidence that HIV causes AIDS are:
   
     * Tests for HIV antibody in persons with AIDS show that they are
       infected with the virus.
       
       
       
     * HIV has been isolated from persons with AIDS and grown in pure
       culture.
       
       
       
     * Studies of blood transfusion recipients before 1985 documented the
       transmission of HIV to previously uninfected persons who
       subsequently developed AIDS.
       
   
   
   Before the discovery of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus
   that causes AIDS, epidemiologic studies of AIDS patients' sex partners
   and AIDS cases occurring in blood transfusion recipients before 1985
   clearly showed that the underlying cause of AIDS was an infectious
   agent. Infection with HIV has been the only common factor shared by
   persons with AIDS throughout the world, including homosexual men,
   transfusion recipients, persons with hemophilia, sex partners of
   infected persons, children born to infected women, and health care
   workers who were infected with HIV while on the job, mainly by being
   stuck with a needle used on an HIV-infected patient.
   
   
   
   Although we know that HIV is the cause of AIDS, much remains to be
   known about exactly how HIV causes the immune system to break down.
   Scientists are constantly discovering more information about HIV and
   AIDS. These discoveries help people learn how to stop transmission of
   the virus and help people infected with HIV to live longer, healthier
   lives. One important question to answer is why some people exposed to
   HIV become infected and others do not. Scientists believe it is most
   likely because of how infectious the other person is and how they are
   exposed. For example, more than 90 percent of persons who were exposed
   through an HIV-infected unit of blood became infected. So we know that
   blood-to-blood contact is a very efficient way that HIV is spread. On
   the other hand, many health care workers are splashed with blood or
   bloody body fluids and this type of exposure has caused very few
   occurrences of HIV infection. Researchers know how HIV is spread and
   the ways that people can help protect themselves from being exposed to
   HIV.
   
   
   
   If you have questions about HIV infection and AIDS, please call the
   CDC National AIDS Hotline at the tollfree number, 1-800-342-2437. If
   you wish to write to CDC regarding this subject, please write to the
   CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse, Post Office Box 6003, Rockville,
   Maryland, 20849-6003.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
        Back to HIV/AIDS Information Return to HIV/AIDS Information
        
        Back to DHAP home page GO BACK TO DHAP HOME PAGE
        
        (with graphics)
        (text only)
        
   
   
   
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
    Last Updated: June 13, 1996
    Updated By: Technical Information Activity
    email: hivmail@cidhiv1.em.cdc.gov