HIV stands for: Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
AIDS stands for: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
The ill health that HIV can cause is related to immune deficiency. The virus attacks and weakens the immune system, which is the body’s natural defence system against infections and diseases.
While many millions of people are living with HIV, most of them will never progress to the most advanced stage of infection, known as AIDS, thanks to antiretroviral treatment.
How HIV is transmitted
HIV is found in the blood and sexual fluids of a person living with HIV and in the breast milk of a woman living with HIV. Transmission may occur if a sufficient quantity of these body fluids get into someone else’s bloodstream.