Meaning
What Does "AIDS" Mean?

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome:

• Acquired means you can get infected with it.
• Immune Deficiency means a weakness in the body's system that fights diseases.
• Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease.

AIDS is caused by a virus known as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). If someone is infected with HIV, his or her body tries to fight the infection by making antibodies that are supposed to fight the virus. Testing for HIV involves looking for these antibodies in a blood sample. If the antibodies are present, they indicate that the person tested has been infected with HIV. People who have the HIV antibodies are deemed "HIV-Positive."

There is a difference between being HIV-positive and having AIDS. Many people who are HIV-positive do not get sick for many years. As the HIV infection progresses, it begins to wear down the immune system. A body that has been weakened by the HIV virus is more prone to illnesses caused by viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria that would not necessarily cause a problem in an otherwise healthy individual. As the person's immune system starts failing, signs and symptoms of AIDS develop. These can include:

• Weight loss greater than 10 percent of body weight
• Fever for longer than one month
• Diarrhea for longer than one month (on and off or all the time)
• Persistent and severe fatigue

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