The most common ways of contracting AIDS are having sex with a person who has HIV or AIDS, or sharing needles with someone who has HIV or AIDS

You can also get HIV through a blood transfusion, if infected with HIV. However, this is rare. Strict rules on who can donate blood and tests of donated blood make transfusions are very safe.

You can not get HIV by donating blood, or shaking hands or hugging an infected person.

Sex, Condoms and AIDS

If you and your partner have had sex with someone else, you both could get AIDS.

Latex condoms offer the best protection against HIV during sexual intercourse. If you or your partner is allergic to latex, there are condoms made of polyurethane that can protect against HIV.

Natural membrane condoms, also called lambskin condoms do not protect against HIV because the virus can pass through them. (more…)

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. One virus is a microorganism that can only be seen with electron microscopy.

When a person has been infected with the HIV, it gradually attacks the defense system of the human organism. Therefore, a person infected with this virus gradually loses its strength and can not fight off other infections.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Although it may take many years, virtually all people infected with HIV develop AIDS. An syndrome is a collection of symptoms that when taken together are known as disease. AIDS eventually leads to death.