HIV / AIDS Facts
Question: What is AIDS?
Answer:
AIDS stands for 'Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome' (UNAIDS, 2012 a). After getting infected with the HIV, most people progress to AIDS. This may take any 5 to 10 years (UNAIDS, 2012 a).
An AIDS diagnosis indicates progression of HIV and is uniformly determined either by a lab test such as a CD4 test or by having certain AIDS defining medical conditions.
AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection, when a person’s immune system is severely damaged and has difficulty fighting diseases and certain cancers.
Symptoms of AIDS include fever, diarrhea and cancer.
In Partnership with: Poole College of Management, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Science Foundation, Penn State