AIDS Kendra Poland

The three main ways of contracting AIDs are using used needles, coming in contact with other peoples blood, and having unprotected sex.

AIDs AIDS stands for: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AIDS is a medical condition. A person is diagnosed with AIDS when their immune system is too weak to fight off infections.

AIDs can enter the body through a vein (e.g., injection drug use), the anus or rectum, the vagina, the penis, the mouth, other mucous membranes (e.g., eyes or inside of the nose), or cuts and sores.

The danger of sharing contaminated needles Sharing needles to inject drugs, or to “shoot up”, is extremely dangerous. The virus is highly concentrated in blood, and a drop or two of blood always remain in the hollow needle after injecting blood.

If the next person uses the same needle, infected blood is injected into this person’s bloodstream - an ideal method for passing on the virus. People who inject drugs not only put themselves at risk; they also put their sex partners at risk.

Although it is very unlikely, but sharing of needles for tattoos, piercings, and body art can also lead to the contraction of AIDS.

Someone with AIDS who shares a needle also shares the virus, which lives in the tiny amounts of blood attached to the needle.

Some healthcare workers have become infected after being stuck with needles containing HIV-infected blood or, less frequently, when infected blood comes in contact with a worker's open cut or is splashed into a worker's eyes or inside their nose.

Obviously, people who inject drugs imperil their health. But if they become infected with HIV or AIDs they also imperil their needle sharing partners, sexual partners and offspring as well.

AIDs can be spread through any type of unprotected sex (oral, vaginal, or anal) if one of the partners has the virus.

This can happen when body fluids such as semen (cum), vaginal fluids, or blood from an infected person get into the body of someone who is not infected. People who already have another sexually transmitted disease (STD) are even more at risk.

Having many sexual partners increase the chances of you encountering a sexual partner infected with AIDS. This is true for both homosexuals and heterosexuals.

In women, the lining of the vagina can sometimes tear and possibly allow HIV or AIDS to enter the body. AIDS/HIV can also be directly absorbed through the mucous membranes that line the vagina and cervix.

In men, AIDS can enter the body through the urethra (the opening at the tip of the penis) or through small cuts or open sores on the penis.

"Street sellers" of syringes may repackage used syringes and sell them as sterile syringes. For this reason, people who continue to inject drugs should obtain syringes from reliable sources of sterile syringes, such as pharmacies.

It is important to know that sharing a needle or syringe for any use, including skin popping and injecting steroids, can put one at risk for AIDS and other blood- borne infections.

Patient who mistakenly receives HIV-infected blood will contract the disease but may not have symptoms for 10 or more years. If the virus is not detected or treated, she will eventually develop AIDS. Transfusion is the process of giving whole blood or one of its components to an ill or injured patient through an intravenous line.

There are two sources of the blood: a volunteer donor or the patient himself. It is very possible that the blood is accidentally not tested for HIV/AIDs and passes it on to whomever.

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