What is HIV?
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS. The HIV virus may be passed from one person to another when infected blood, semen, breast milk or vaginal fluid secretions come in contact with an uninflected person’s broken skin or mucous membranes. Some people with the HIV virus will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection, while others may not.

Facts about HIV
•    It is estimated that one out of every 300 people in the United States is HIV positive.
•    New medications have reduced death rates from AIDS, but they have unpleasant, and sometimes life-threatening side
      effects that greatly reduce quality of life. Their long-term effectiveness is unknown.
•    There is no cure for HIV or AIDS.
•    The CDC estimates that one quarter of all US residents who are living with HIV are unaware of their infection.
•    In the United States, nearly 1 million people are infected with HIV, and at least 40,000 new cases of HIV infection occur
      each year.
•    You can’t tell who’s got the HIV virus – anyone can be infected.

Signs and Symptoms of HIV Infection
The only way to know if you are infected is to be tested for HIV infection. You cannot rely on symptoms to know whether or not you are infected. There are many people who become infected with HIV and do not have any signs or symptoms at all for 10 years or more.
Some warning signs of advanced HIV Infection Include:
•    Rapid weight loss.
•    Dry cough.
•    Recurring fever or profuse night sweats.
•    Profound and unexplained fatigue.
•    Swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck.
•    Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week.
•    White spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, in the mouth, or in the throat.
•    Pneumonia.
•    Red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids.
•    Memory loss, depression, and other neurological disorders.