Peer educators prepare for a sexual education workshop for adolescents at the UNICEF-assisted Coping Centre for People with HIV/AIDS, in Botswana. They use plays and other outreach activities to promote HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.
UNICEF/HQ01-0182/Giacomo Pirozzi
What is HIV and AIDS?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV for short) is the virus that causes AIDS. It attacks the body's immune system, the very system that usually fights off infections.
The HIV virus attacks a white blood cell in the immune system called the T-helper or the CD4 cell. Over time, the HIV virus multiplies and kills more and more CD4 cells. When the number of CD4 cells gets really low, the person can't fight off illnesses. They're more likely to catch things like pneumonia or tuberculosis, which can then kill them. When a person's immune system is this weak, they're said to have aquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
How do people get HIV and AIDS?
HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. Most adults and young people become infected with HIV by having sex with an infected person without a condom, or by injecting drugs using a needle that's been used by an infected person.
Unborn babies can get infected with HIV when they're growing in the womb, during birth, or when they're breast fed.
Can HIV be cured?
There is no known cure for HIV or AIDS, but anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) can slow the progression from HIV to AIDS and keep some people healthy for many years. At the moment, just ten per cent of HIV-positive children have access to these drugs; that's two million children missing out on the drugs that could keep them alive longer.
How can people protect themselves against HIV?
There are several ways for people to reduce the risk of becoming infected with HIV: for example abstaining from sex or never having unsafe sex. Another way is not to inject drugs. It is important for people to use a condom as this prevents the exchange of bodily fluids, such as semen. Condoms also prevent pregnancy and many sexually transmitted infections.