What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?

AIDS – Acquired Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome is a disease which has the symptoms of loss of weight, muscle wasting, an inability to fight of infections and the tendency to develop skin cancers such as Kaposki’s sarcoma. It is caused by a virus – the human immunodeficiency virus – HIV.

So, HIV is the causative agent of the diseases which is called AIDS.

The two can be confused because it is possible for people to be infected with the virus – they are said to be HIV positive – but they do not show any signs or symptoms of the disease. This is because the body can hold the virus in check for a long time – sometimes many years – even without treatment.

Twenty years ago, becoming HIV positive was seen as a death sentence but now drug regimes can help the body’s own natural defences keep the virus at bay for even longer – maybe even indefinitely. These drug cocktails have to be taken every day to have the desired effect and they are expensive – the developing world, which has the faster growing AIDS population finds it difficult to give treatment to all those who need it.