HIV is a disease that too many of us ignore.  Information is key to combat the spreading of this disease. Here is a link for some info on HIV  and AIDS. Please share it with others.

http://www.thebody.com/nmai/whatisaids.html

http://www.thebody.com/amfar/faq.html

Remember if you have the HIV and AIDS are differents.  If you are HIV positive and take good care of yourself, it will take a long time before you actually get the disease, ie Magic Johnson. 

If you think you've been exposed to the disease, It's recommededto take the AIDS cocktail at any hospital or doctor's office and get tested every six months for a year.      

HIV is defined as having a CD4 counts less than 1,000 but greater than or equal to 250 according to CDC new definition.  However, AIDS is defined as having a CD4 counts less than 250.

**CD4 is the body self-defense security force that keeps invaders, intruders like viruses away. Depletion of such system leave our system vulnerable to many opportunistic infections.  That is why different HIV infected people die of different illness.  The most common ones is PCP (pneumonia), cancer, and the like.

One more note: most doctors or scientists treat their patients when their CD4 count is less than or equal to 250 (AIDS) because at a higher CD4 count the patient is asymptomatic and is living a normal life. Furthermore, AIDS drug is very toxic, and can do more harms than good if starts very early. So, the rationale is why don't we wait when a patient is really sick to treat AIDS patients. Some patients may become sick despite of their high CD4 counts. We are individual, people.

I remember attending a lecture where i think i heard during the asymptomatic period, it is hard for one to infect others. This is because the virus hides itself from detection by human immune system. Nonetheless, there still have room for infection, but very slim, and people should avoid at all cost risky behavior. 

The ideal transmission peak is typically 1-8 weeks post-infection, when the disease progresses to AIDS (weeks prior to death).  However, the ideal is not during the asymptomatic period. Of course, the person looks sick when they progress to AIDS, and usually they cannot be sexually active due to their illness, and that is not true when they are just infected.

HIV infected patients look very healthy, specially if they're taking their medications, exercising and follow a nutritious diet. From what i observe most people go into a deep depression once they find out they're infected with the HIV virus, and that affect their health.  Being that the AIDS drug is so toxic it makes the AIDS patients feel worse and some of them refuse to take their medication and end up in the hospital.

Nowadays, HIV and AIDS patients are living longer, because they are more educate about the disease and they're not as scared as before, but we still have to encourage people to learn more. 

Excellent information Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far!

*****

What about info on how to ask your partner or partners if they, would they, Are they? Questions.

Nadine,

With my experience as an intern at here NIH doing Neuro-AIDS, during the asymptomatic phase the viral replication is low partially due to immune cells such as CD8, CTL, and CD4, etc.  that play a major role in downregulating viral transcription, but it is also due to the virus that reduces its transcriptional capability to escape from cell-mediated and humoral immune responses (CD8, CTL, CD4, etc). Interestingly, viral transmission to others during asymptomatic period (1-8 years) is minimal comparing to symptomatic periods that includes the primary infection (1-12 weeks of infection) and post-clinical latency (8 -12 years of infection). Nevertheless, infection is possible during all phase.

It couldn't be more emphasized that education is key to prevent infection since once infected, one is always infected. USE A CONDOM PEOPLE, IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE.