HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks the body’s immune system and can be transmitted through sexual contact, sharing needles, and during pregnancy, birth or breast feeding. Symptoms can include fever, sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue; some people have no symptoms. Left untreated, HIV could lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). The only way to know if you have the virus is to get tested. Dr. Pamela Payne-Foster, a preventive medicine physician and professor of community medicine and population health with CCHS, encourages people to get tested for HIV/AIDS, especially if they are engaged in risky behaviors, and, if diagnosed, to get into treatment early as it can slow or prevent progression of the disease.
(Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
