AIDS full form

AIDS full form is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. This is a disease where the HIV infection in the body increases to the level that the body's immune system badly damages. If not treated on time, the infection can be life-threatening and can cause various other health conditions such as thrush, pneumonia, tuberculosis, brain cancer, skin diseases, and toxoplasmosis. Continue reading to explore more about the full form of AIDS, its symptoms, treatment, history, and more.

What is the Full Form of AIDS?

The full form of AIDS is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The life-threatening disease attacks the body when the HIV virus is not treated on time. The immune system of an AIDS patient gets too weak to protect the body from any sickness or infection. AIDS is considered the last stage of HIV infection, which if not treated on time can also cause death.

AIDS Highlights

 History of AIDS

As per the scientists, HIV originally came from a virus related to chimpanzees during the 1930s. The virus got transmitted to humans through the transfer of blood during hunting. However, the world became aware of HIV and AIDS in the 1980s, when doctors came across rare types of pneumonia, cancer, and other illnesses. Initially, doctors found the disease in gay men and started calling it Gay-Related Immune Deficiency (GRID). The first case of AIDS, the full form of which is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome was reported in 1982 in Canada. In 1986, it was found that HIV can be passed to the child from the mother through breastfeeding.

Symptoms of AIDS

Who can Get AIDS?

There is no age, sex, or race, who is not at risk of getting HIV infection. Anyone can get this disease. However, there is a certain group who are at a higher risk of getting this deadly disease.

• People who have multiple sexual partners
• People who are suffering from other STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)
• People who use the same needles to inject drugs
• Gay and bisexual men

Diagnosis of AIDS

The only way to diagnose HIV is to get a blood test done. There are HIV test kits available with doctors.

How Does AIDS Spread?

There can be various reasons that can cause the transfer of the infection from one person to another. Some of the common reasons due to which AIDS can spread be:

• Transfer of an infected person's blood, semen, or vaginal secretions into a healthy person's body
• Having unprotected sex. This is the most common reason for the spread of AIDS.
• Mother-to-child transmission through breastfeeding
• Mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy or delivery
• Sharing contaminated needles and syringes
• Transfusion of infected blood

How AIDS Does Not Spread?

It is said that half knowledge is dangerous. This applies here as well. Along with the reasons of AIDS, it is also paramount to know how HIV/AIDS does not spread.

• HIV doesn't spread from kissing, hugging, or shaking hands
• It doesn't spread by taking food together
• HIV is not air-borne, water-borne, or vector-borne
• It doesn't transmit through mosquito bites
• AIDS doesn't spread through saliva, tears or sweat
• HIV doesn't transmit by sleeping together (Until there are no sexual activities)

Stages of AIDS

Stage 1: Primary HIV Infection

At the initial level of HIV infection, people get flu-like symptoms. At this stage, the immune system generates antibodies against the virus, which become the reason of illness, fever, weakness, and rash. Chances of HIV/AIDS transmission get very high at this stage due to high viral load.

Stage 2: Chronic HIV Infection

Chronic HIV lasts for a long time without any visible symptoms. People usually don't get to know about the infection until they take the HIV test.

Stage 3: Symptomatic HIV infection

When not treated for a long time, the virus starts damaging the immune system. Post this the body also starts showing mild and chronic symptoms.

Stage 4: AIDS

This is the last stage of HIV when the infection gets severe and causes AIDS. It takes an average of eight to ten years to convert HIV into AIDS.

Treatment of AIDS

Despite extensive research and technology, to date, there is no permanent cure for HIV infection. However, the disease can be treated and the progression of the virus can be controlled with medicines. The treatment used for HIV is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). The treatment can reduce the impact of HIV infection and can reduce the risk of spreading the virus to other people.

Important Facts about AIDS

• The first anti-retroviral drug, AZT was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in 1987.
• Every year, December 1st is held as World AIDS Day. The first time, World AIDS Day was held in 1988.
• As per the data, around 38.4 million people were living with HIV globally till the end of 2021.