Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS is a debilitating disease that involves the slow degeneration of the body’s immune system. As such, a person infected with HIV-AIDS has a compromised immune response making him more susceptible to the development of opportunistic infections, malignancies, and impairment of the central nervous system.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, is the virus that is responsible for destroying and killing the T4 cells of our body which serve as the frontline defense mechanism against foreign bodies. This virus is commonly passed from an individual to another through unprotected sexual intercourse. Other modes of HIV transmission are the sharing of infected needles, as commonly practiced by drug addicts, accidental needle pricks, and transfusion of infected blood. Studies continue to ascertain if the virus can cross the placental barrier and confirm if the virus may also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth.

The development of AIDS does not take overnight after being infected with the virus. It may take years before an individual with HIV manifests symptoms of full-blown AIDS. A person with the virus can be initially asymptomatic and may be unaware that he or she is carrying the virus. However the initial symptoms of HIV infection can manifest itself as flu-like symptoms occurring two to four weeks after infection and may intermittently disappear and reappear periodically. More severe symptoms may take months to years before they appear.

There are different screening tests available today. These tests measure the antibodies that your body has made against the HIV. However it can take some time before these antibodies can be detected in your system. The window period usually lasts two to eight weeks. An initial negative test should be repeated after three months to confirm a false-negative result. The most common test used to determine the presence of HIV antibodies is the Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) Test. This involves the extraction of blood from a vein. A reactive or positive EIA Test is followed by the confirmatory Western Blot to come up with a positive diagnosis.

Although there is already an extensive development in science and technology, efforts in the search for the much elusive cure for this disease continue. A long-standing educational campaign is implemented to educate individuals especially the youth on safe, responsible, and protected sex in the hopes of reducing the incidence of this “silent” killer. Health care practitioners are also on heightened alert to be more careful especially in reducing and containing cross infection in hospitals and health care facilities.