WHAT IS AIDS & WHAT CAUSES IT?

WHAT IS AIDS?

AND WHAT CAUSES IT?

The letters in the word AIDS stand for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Those words describe how AIDS works and what it is. When something is "acquired," it is passed from one person to another. "Immune Deficiency" means that the immune system, the mechanism the body normally uses to fight sickness, is not working properly. Although AIDS is often called a disease, scientists have given it the more exact title of "syndrome," meaning a condition which can be defined by a collection of symptoms.

Symptoms of AIDS include swollen lymph glands, weight loss, prolonged diarrhea, night sweats, and up to 23 "opportunistic infections" (Ols). These infections-many of them common and not normally lethal-are called "opportunistic" because although they are usually kept at bay by the immune system, once AIDS destroys the T-cells of the immune system, the Ols use this opportunity to grow. People said to have died "of AIDS" or "from complications of AIDS," often really die from an Ol. (For a list of Ols, see card 72.)

Most scientists researching how the T-cells are disabled think AIDS results from infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). As the body fights off HIV with HIV antibodies, the HIV disappears, but for reasons yet unknown, T-cells continue to die. (For alternative theories of AIDS, see card 59). Like similar Feline, Bovine, and Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses, HIV is found in blood, milk, semen, vaginal fluid, tears, and saliva. It spreads by sexual contact, sharing needles, breast-feeding, or infected blood transfusions or blood products. People with HIV live an average of 10 years before AIDS develops. Those with AIDS live an average of 3-4 years. Next Card 59: NON-HIV THEORIES about the cause of AIDS

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