H i s d a i l y v a r i e t y

Just checking in! Making sure you really know what it is!
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) Men Say they know many things
Men Say they know many things but Lo, They have taken wings, The Arts and the Sciences and a thousand appliances
the wind that blows is all that anybody knows!

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system (the body's defense against infection). HIV uses healthy white blood cells to replicate itself, breaking down the immune system and leaving the body more susceptible to illness. Without treatment, most people infected with HIV become less able to fight off germs that we are exposed to every day. Someone who has HIV is called "HIV positive" or "HIV+".

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a late stage of HIV infection. An HIV positive person is diagnosed with AIDS when their immune system is so weakened that it is no longer able to fight off illness. People with immune deficiency are much more vulnerable to infections such as pneumonia and various forms of cancer. These diseases are called opportunistic infections because they take advantage of the weakened immune system. Ultimately, people do not die from AIDS itself, they die from one or more of these opportunistic infections. It is believed that all people who become HIV+ will eventually have AIDS.

What other STDs should I be concerned about?
HIV is not the only sexually transmitted disease you need to protect yourself against. Most STIs show few symptoms, but all can be properly diagnosed through doctor's exams and tests. STIs can increase the risk of HIV transmission through symptoms such as open sores and biological changes that happen in your body as a result of an STI infection. The most common STIs are:
• HPV (Genital Warts)
• Chlamydia
• Genital Herpes
• Gonorrhea
• Hepatitis B
• Syphilis
• Trichomoniasis
To find out more about Sexually Transmitted Diseases, their symptoms, testing and treatment, visit http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/aids/testing/
If you are in the NY area. Otherwise google testing sites in your state.