| AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death among | | | | young child are: While the baby develops in the |
| persons between ages 25 to 44 in the United States. | | | | mother's uterus (intrauterine) At the time of birth During |
| About 60 million people worldwide have been infected | | | | breastfeeding Among teens, the virus is most |
| with HIV since the start of the epidemic. Human | | | | commonly spread through high-risk behaviors including: |
| immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes AIDS. The virus | | | | Unprotected sexual intercourse (oral, vaginal, or anal |
| attacks the immune system and leaves the body | | | | sex) Sharing needles used to inject drugs or other |
| vulnerable to a variety of life-threatening infections and | | | | substances (including contaminated needles used for |
| cancers. The growing impact of AIDS in Africa, Asia | | | | injecting steroids and tattooing and body art) In very |
| and Latin America has prompted the United Nations | | | | rare cases, HIV has also been transmitted by direct |
| World Food Program to appeal to donor countries to | | | | contact with an open wound of an infected person |
| fund food and nutrition for those afflicted. The | | | | (the virus may be introduced through a small cut or |
| symptoms of AIDS are primarily the result of infections | | | | tear on the body of the healthy person) and through |
| that do not normally develop in individuals with healthy | | | | blood transfusions. Since 1985, the U.S. blood supply |
| immune systems. These are called opportunistic | | | | has been carefully screened for HIV. Tests for HIV |
| infections. Patients with AIDS have had their exempt | | | | have become cheaper and more obtainable for |
| structure depleted by HIV and are really vulnerable to | | | | governments, but this has unfortunately lead to |
| such opportunistic infections. Common symptoms are | | | | standalone HIV testing programs that the Human |
| fevers, sweats (especially at night), bloated glands, | | | | Rights Watch has criticized for being coercive, |
| chills, failing, and weight loss. Transmission of the virus | | | | discriminatory, lacking in confidentiality and deficient in |
| occurs. The three main ways HIV is passed to a very | | | | prevention information. |