How long do people live w/ aids/hiv?

Question

I really don't understand what AIDS is. Im a teenager and I really think they should tell more people what aids really is.

So, how long do people live with it? That use treaments?

And then whats so bad about having aids, like i know its bad, but what are the every day like symptoms people have?

Answer 1

what would you do if you only had 24 hours to live?   www.ifidietomorrow.org

Answer 2

HIV is the virus that can lead to AIDS.  HIV attacks the immune system by destroying the cells our bodies use to fight infections.  Once that cell count drops to 200 or below, diagnosis changes from HIV to AIDS, and the person is susceptible to all other infections, such as flu, pneumonia, and colds.  A person with a relatively healthy immune system would be able to fight off those infections, but someone who has a damaged immune system could die from any of those infections. Technically, people do not die of HIV, but from the other infections they get as a result of the damaged immune system.

There is no cure for HIV, but with treatment, people with HIV can live longer, healthier than they could in the past.  Treatment can help increase the amount of time between diagnosis of HIV and diagnosis of AIDS. However, treatments for HIV do have a lot of side effects, such as nausea and diarhea.

The length of time a person could live with HIV or AIDS would depend on several things, including the person's health prior to infection, the person's response to the virus, response to treatment, and whether or not the person is following the treatment prescribed by their doctor, and taking meds appropriately.  

HIV is transmitted through unprotected s*x with an infected person, direct blood to blood contact (infection can occur if infected blood gets in to an open cut on the body of an uninfected person.), transmission from a woman to her child during birth (medications can reduce this risk, but not eliminate it), and HIV is found in breast milk.  In terms of transmission by sexual activity, the highest rate of transmission of HIV is by anal s*x.

HIV is not transmitted by casual contact or by saliva. You can feel free to touch, hug, or even kiss someone who has HIV without fear that you will be infected. The only way you could get HIV from kissing someone is if you both have open cuts or sores in your mouths.  HIV only lives for a few minutes (at most) once outside the body.

Prevention:  Having accurate info re: transmission, using condoms, and not using needles for drug use are all very important.

HIV often has no early symptoms. Sometimes people have flu-like symptoms, but not everyone does.  Often, people pass the virus on to others without realizing that they themselves are infected.  Testing is important.  Antibodies to HIV usually show up within 3 months, but in extremely rare cases, it can take 6 months for them to show up.  Testing can help those people who are HIV+ get appropriate medical care that can help them live healthier, longer.