According to the CDC, more than 1.1 million Americans are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. One in 8 of these people doesn't know he or she is infected. Find out more about HIV and AIDS by taking this quiz, based on information from the CDC.
1. When was HIV first recognized in the U.S.?
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Around this time, doctors in Los Angeles and New York were reporting rare cases of pneumonia, cancer, and other illnesses among male patients who had sex with other men. These conditions were not normally found in people with healthy immune systems. It was several years before scientists developed a test for the virus.
2. Which of these is a symptom of HIV infection?
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These are symptoms of HIV, but a blood test is the only way to know for sure if you have HIV infection. Symptoms are not always reliable. They can be mistaken for other illnesses. Severe symptoms like rapid weight loss or chronic infections usually don't appear for years, if at all. Even if you don’t have any symptoms, you can still infect other people. This is one important reason why early testing is so important.
3. A person has AIDS when which of these occurs?
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An HIV-infected person has AIDS when he or she has fewer than 200 CD4 cells. These cells are an important part of the body’s immune system and help to fight off infection. The definition of AIDS also includes developing one or more of 26 health conditions. These include opportunistic infections like recurrent pneumonia and Kaposi sarcoma, a cancerlike disease affecting the skin, even if that person doesn't meet the CD4+ criteria. Many of these conditions don’t affect healthy people. But someone with AIDS has poorer defenses against infection because the immune system is weakened.
4. What does HIV-positive mean?
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When you have HIV in your body, your immune system makes antibodies (a kind of protein) to fight the infection. These antibodies can be measured by a blood test. It usually takes 2 to 8 weeks after infection before HIV antibodies can be detected. For some people, it may take longer, but most people will develop antibodies within the first 3 months after infection. Once the antibodies are detected, a person is considered HIV-positive. A person can also be diagnosed with HIV infection when a blood test detects the actual virus particles.
5. HIV attacks a certain kind of cell in the immune system. Which is it?
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HIV targets a kind of white blood cell called a CD4 positive T cell, or T4 cell. This type of cell is a key immune response cell and fighter of infections.
6. What is the CD4 T-cell count at which AIDS is considered to have developed?
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A normal count is 600 or more CD4 positive T cells per cubic milliliter of blood. Below 200 per cubic milliliter means a person infected with HIV has developed AIDS.
7. The risk for HIV/AIDS is tied to behaviors. Which of these behaviors can put you at risk?
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HIV is found mostly in blood, semen, or vaginal fluid. An HIV-positive person can pass the virus through unprotected sex (oral, vaginal, or anal). They can also pass it on through sharing needles or syringes if their HIV is untreated or not fully controlled with medicines. Women whose HIV is not under control with medicines can pass the virus to their babies before birth, during birth, or through breastfeeding. The risk of getting HIV from a blood transfusion is extremely low. Since 1985, all donated blood in the U.S. is tested. HIV is not spread through casual contact, such as shaking hands or hugging, or from sharing food, glasses, utensils, towels, bedding, toilet seats, or pets.
8. Why is a combination of medicines—called a cocktail—used to treat HIV?
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The medicines are designed to attack the virus at different steps in its life cycle. When taken correctly, the cocktail blocks HIV from being active. It overwhelms any chance of developing resistance to the medicines.
9. What is the best way to protect yourself against HIV?
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Currently, no vaccine is available for HIV. Protect yourself by:
Not having sex
Staying in a sexual relationship with just one person (monogamous)
Using a latex condom when you do have sex
Taking PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) or PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) if you are having unprotected sex with someone with HIV whose virus may not be under control with medicine. Or if you are having unprotected sex with someone whose HIV status you don't know.
Getting checked for and treated for any other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) you might have. STIs are also called sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
If you are having sex with someone who is living with HIV, making sure that they are taking their HIV medicines and their virus is "undetectable" for at least 6 months straight
Drug users must not share needles and syringes. They should not expose themselves to the blood of others. Remember, a person can be HIV-positive and not have symptoms. Have yourself tested to learn your status. Before you have sex with a new partner, ask the person about his or her HIV status. Ask when the person was last tested. Birth control pills and spermicides don’t protect you from getting HIV.
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