But having HIV doesn't mean you have AIDS. Even without treatment, it takes
a long time for HIV to progress to AIDS—usually 10 to 12 years. With the help
of medicines HIV can be slow or stop the damage to the immune system if diagnosed
before it becomes AIDS., Medicines can help the immune system return to a healthier
state even if AIDS does develop .
Acquisition and transmission
HIV is transmitted by three main routes:
You can get HIV from contact with infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluid.
A number of people get the virus by having unprotected sex with someone who has
HIV. Another common way of getting it is by sharing drug needles with someone
who is infected with HIV. The virus can also be passed from a mother to her
baby during pregnancy, birth, or breast-feeding There is no risk of acquiring
HIV if exposed to feces, nasal secretions, saliva, sputum, sweat, tears, urine,
or vomit unless these are contaminated with blood
Comment
The primary causes of death from HIV/AIDS are opportunistic infections and
cancer, both of
which are frequently the result of the progressive failure of the immune
system.
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