AIDS

AIDS is among the top three causes of death for African-American men ages 25 to 54. Furthermore, males account for the largest proportion (81%) of AIDS cases reported among Hispanics in the United States. AIDS is a chronic life threatening sexually transmitted disease caused by HIV.

How AIDS affects the body

AIDS weakens your immune system's ability to fight off infection. People who have AIDS get very sick from germs and bacteria that healthy people can fight off without a problem.

Risk Factors

Anyone who has had sex with a partner whose HIV/AIDS status is unknown is at risk. People who have had unprotected sex are at risk. People who have shared needles or syringes with others are also at risk.

Symptoms

The symptoms of AIDS are really the symptoms of the opportunistic infections that are the result of a weakened immune system. Because the body cannot defend itself properly people with AIDS can get very sick from normal illnesses such as the flu.

Prevention/Planning Ahead

The best way to prevent AIDS is by protecting yourself from HIV by having protected sex or not having sex at all.

Treatment

There is no cure for AIDS, but there are anti-HIV drugs which slow the spread of the virus to the healthy cells in your body. Most treatments include multiple anti-HIV drugs being taken together for the maximum effect.

Read more about AIDS