* AIDS stands for “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.”
* AIDS is an advanced stage of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is spread from person to person through contact with infected secretions or infected blood.
* People with AIDS have weakened immune systems that make them vulnerable to selected conditions and infections.
» Read more: AIDS At A Glance

There are a large number of studies currently under way that involve HIV-infected patients.
» Read more: Where can a person find information about clinical trials for HIV and AIDS?

The search for a cure for HIV began as soon as the virus was identified. HIV is probably one of the most studied viruses in history. Scientists have a detailed knowledge of the virus’ genes, proteins, and understand how it functions. In fact, the combinations of drugs that make up HAART therapy were chosen because they attack different parts of the virus life cycle, causing it to malfunction. However, HAART therapy is not a cure and the drugs must be taken for life. Even when viral levels are low, the virus is still present in the body.
» Read more: What research is being done to find a cure for HIV?

To date, there is no effective vaccine for HIV. Several attempts have been made to make a vaccine but all have failed.
» Read more: Is there a vaccine for HIV?

AIDS can be prevented. The best means of prevention is not to get HIV in the first place. Sexual abstinence is completely effective in eliminating sexual transmission, but educational campaigns have not been successful in promoting abstinence in at-risk populations. Monogamous sexual intercourse between two uninfected partners also eliminates sexual transmission of the virus. Using barriers, such as condoms, during sexual intercourse reduces but does not eliminate the risk of viral transmission.
» Read more: Can AIDS be prevented?

Left untreated, HIV is almost always a fatal illness with half of people dying within nine months of diagnosis of an AIDS-defining condition. The use of HAART has dramatically changed this grim picture.
» Read more: The prognosis for HIV infection

The complications of HIV infection result mainly from a weakened immune system. This makes the person more vulnerable to certain types of conditions and infections (see table). Treatment with HAART can reverse or mitigate the effects of HIV infection. Some patients on HAART may be at risk for developing cholesterol or blood-sugar problems.
» Read more: Complications of HIV

Blood and genital secretions from people with HIV are considered infectious and the utmost care should be taken in handling them. Fluids that are contaminated with blood also are potentially infectious. The most commonly reported exposures are an inadvertent needle stick (usually when drawing blood from someone with AIDS) or having mucous membranes or skin abrasions or open skin sores come into contact with infectious fluid. Mucous membranes include the mouth, rectum, or genital area. The average risk of HIV infection after a needle-stick injury is around 0.3% and after mucous-membrane exposure to blood is approximately 0.09%. For abraded skin exposure, the risk is estimated to be less than mucous membrane exposure. There also are some factors that may affect the risk for HIV transmission such as the amount of blood from the infected source. Deep injury from a needle, visible blood in the needle, or a needle that was being placed in an artery or vein are examples of higher-risk situations. The risk of transmission also depends on the number of virus particles in the blood, with higher viral loads leading to an increased risk of transmission.
» Read more: The treatment for non-HIV-infected people who are exposed to the genital secretions or blood of someone with HIV

There are two goals of treatment for pregnant women with HIV infection: to treat maternal infection and to reduce the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child. Women can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy, during delivery, or after delivery by breastfeeding. Without treatment of the mother and without breastfeeding, the risk of transmission to the baby is about 25%. With treatment of the mother before and during birth and with treatment of the baby after birth, the risk decreases to less than 2%. Some anti-retroviral medications cannot be used in pregnancy and others have not been studied in pregnancy. For example, the medication efavirenz (Sustiva) is usually avoided in early pregnancy or in women who are likely to become pregnant. Fortunately, there are treatment regimens that have been shown to be well-tolerated by most pregnant women, significantly improving the outcome for mother and child. The same principles of testing for drug resistance and combining anti-retrovirals that are used for nonpregnant patients are used for pregnant patients. All pregnant women with HIV should be treated with HAART regardless of their CD4 cell count, although the choice of drugs may differ slightly from nonpregnant women.
» Read more: Treatment for HIV during pregnancy

Medications that fight HIV are called anti-retroviral medications. Different anti-retroviral medications attack the virus in different ways. When used in combination with each other, they are very effective at suppressing the virus. These effective combinations are called highly active anti-retroviral therapy or HAART. It is important to note that there is no cure for AIDS or for HIV. HAART only suppresses reproduction of the virus.
» Read more: Treatment for HIV/AIDS