HIV/AIDS: Frequently Asked Questions

HIV/AIDS 101

Do all people with HIV have AIDS?

No. Being diagnosed with HIV does NOT mean a person will also be diagnosed with AIDS. Healthcare professionals diagnose AIDS only when people with HIV disease begin to get severe opportunistic infections, or their T-cell counts fall below a certain level.

Was HIV created by the United States Government?

No, AIDS was not created by the United States Government.

Can I get AIDS from sharing a cup or shaking hands with someone who has HIV or AIDS?

HIV is found only in body fluids, so you cannot get HIV by shaking someone’s hand or giving them a hug (or by using the same toilet or towel). While HIV is found in saliva, sharing cups or utensils has never been shown to transmit HIV.

CDC’s Clinical Studies of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention

Research Rationale

Why is CDC conducting trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention?

CDC is sponsoring these trials because safe and effective new approaches to HIV prevention are urgently needed. More than 7,000 people continue to become infected around the world every day (approximately 2.7 million per year, including 56,000 in the U.S.). Although behavior change programs have contributed to dramatic reductions in the number of annual infections in the United States and many other nations, far too many people remain at high risk.

With an effective vaccine years away, there is mounting evidence that antiretroviral agents may be able to play an important role in reducing the risk for transmission. Researchers believe that an HIV drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)―tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (tenofovir, brand name Viread) used alone or in combination with emtricitabine (together, known by the brand name Truvada)―taken daily as an oral preventive drug, is among the most important new prevention approaches being investigated today. The approach is called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

Questions and Answers: HIV Prevention

How Effective Are Latex Condoms in Preventing HIV?

Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing heterosexual sexual transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Research on the effectiveness of latex condoms in preventing heterosexual transmission is both comprehensive and conclusive. The ability of latex condoms to prevent transmission has been scientifically established in laboratory studies as well as in epidemiologic studies of uninfected persons at very high risk of infection because they were involved in sexual relationships with HIV-infected partners. The most recent meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies of condom effectiveness was published by Weller and Davis in 2004. This analysis refines and updates their previous report published in 1999. The analysis demonstrates that the consistent use of latex condoms provides a high degree of protection against heterosexual transmission of HIV.

Basic Information about HIV and AIDS

Electron microscope image of HIV, seen as small spheres on the surface of white blood cells.

While there have been great strides in the prevention of HIV transmission and care of HIV infection and AIDS since AIDS was first recognized in 1981, many people still have questions about HIV and AIDS. The information below is designed to answer some of these questions based on the best available science.

What are HIV and AIDS?

HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. CDC estimates that about 56,000 people in the United States contracted HIV in 2006.

There are two types of HIV, HIV-1 and HIV-2. In the United States, unless otherwise noted, the term “HIV” primarily refers to HIV-1.

Both types of HIV damage a person’s body by destroying specific blood cells, called CD4+ T cells, which are crucial to helping the body fight diseases.

HIV Testing: Questions for the doctor

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. If you have HIV, early treatment can help you live a longer, healthier life.

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.

What do I ask the doctor?

Visiting the doctor can be stressful. It helps to have questions written down before your appointment. Take this list of questions with you the next time you visit the doctor or health clinic.

• Should I get tested for HIV?
• What puts me at risk for HIV?
• How will you test me for HIV?