Facts about AIDS

•HIV started spreading rapidly after World War II and most likely originated in Africa
•The first case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) was discovered in 1981, but recent research has proven, through blood sample, that a man in 1959 who died was infected with HIV.
•The first few cases of AIDS were found in the United States in gay men, and therefore AIDS was originally named GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency)

Ways to contract HIV:
•Intercourse
•Sharing needles or syringes
•Blood transfusions
•Breastfeeding
•Being born while the mother is infected


Facts about AIDS/HIV
•Leading cause of death for people between the ages 25-44


The difference between HIV and AIDS:
•HIV is the virus that causes AIDS
•AIDS generally occurs when the t-cell (measure of the strength of an immune system) count goes below 200

Dangers of AIDS:
•Parasitic, fungal, viral, and bacterial infections
•Certain types of cancers