Expert: Codie Sprinkle - 12/14/2006

Question
Hi, I'm doing an essay in English about AIDS/HIV. It would be great if you could answer these questions for me (:

1. Where did it originate?
2. Can animals contract it?
3. When was it first discovered?
4. How can you tell if you have HIV?
5. Is it genetic?
6. Some say you can contract AIDS from kissing... true or false?
7. Any myths about HIV/AIDS?

Answer
1. Its rumored to be in Africa
2. Although I am not exactly sure of this I would think that they could contract it.
3. It was first detected in the 1980's
4. People living with HIV may feel and look completely well but their immune systems may nevertheless be damaged. It is important to remember that once someone is infected they can pass on HIV right away, even if they feel healthy.

As time passes without effective treatment, HIV weakens an infected person's immune system, making them much more vulnerable to opportunistic infections. These infections are caused by germs that are around us all the time but which can normally be fought off by a healthy immune system. Once HIV has broken down the body's defences, such infections can take hold and produce any of a wide range of symptoms - some of them very severe. Certain cancers also become more common when the immune system is weakened.


Such symptoms are, however, not caused directly by HIV, and they can't by themselves be interpreted as definite signs of HIV infection or AIDS. A diagnosis of AIDS requires signs of severe immune deficiency, which cannot be explained by any factor except HIV. This generally requires an HIV test.

The only way to know for sure whether a person is infected with HIV is for them to have an HIV test.
(http://www.avert.org/symptoms.htm)
5. Its not genetic.  If your great grandfather had it your not destine to have it.
6. False.  Only if you have an open sore in your mouth and they have an open sore in their mouth.
7. http://aids.about.com/cs/aidsfactsheets/tp/hivmyths.htm tells you the top ten myths about HIV/Aids

sorry it took so long to get back to you.