HIV, or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is an organism which infects a person by tapping on the resources of a human cell and reproduces inside it; the new viruses then spread to other cells for further infection.  Incapable of reproducing all by itself, it depletes the infected person’s immune system by eventually taking over most of  the body’s healthy cells, rendering it incapable of rejecting or combating possible other infections and viruses.  HIV currently affects only humans, but its cause is suspected to come from cross-contamination of blood with species of chimpanzee.  As early as 1977, there were reports of contamination in the United States, Haiti, and Africa, although documented cases of rare types of pneumonia and cancer were seen on people with unusually lowered immune systems surfaced only in 1979.  Testing positive to HIV may not mean contraction of AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, but there is a reasonable possibility that HIV leads to AIDS.  The average time between transmission of HIV and the appearance of symptoms which leads to AIDS is about eight to eleven years, depending on the infected person’s health or behavior.  People with AIDS suffer severe immunity breakdowns which lead to various complications and illnesses.

The risks of contracting HIV are increased if a person is infected with a Sexually Transmitted Disease or STD, even more if the STD causes lesions on the skin or on the genital area, making it easier for the virus to enter the breaks while partners are having sexual intercourse.  The only way to tell if a person is HIV positive is through testing, since symptoms are unreliable and may be manifests of other diseases.  Also, cases have appeared wherein HIV positive individuals have not shown symptoms for many years since contracting the infection.  Early symptoms of infection are flu-like manifests; chills and fever, night-sweating; and rashes that last for several days.

Transmission of the virus occurs with blood exchange, semen and vagina secretions during sexual intercourse.  It is therefore a safe practice to use condoms before sexual contact, as latex condoms create a barrier for the skin which the virus cannot penetrate.  Durex condoms should be used for safe sexual practices.  It is also possible for a newborn infant to contract HIV through breast milk from nursing mothers.  The most common causes of transmission of the disease are through sexual intercourse, whether vaginal or anal; oral sex, although the risk of contraction is relatively low; sharing of injection needles, which ranks high among risky sexual practices; and mother to child transmission through breast milk, or if the child is unborn, the virus is contracted in the womb.

The transmission is not possible if sexual partners exchange bodily secretions such as saliva, tears, sweat, feces, and urine.  As far as a cure is concerned there is none which is currently available for the disease.  Prevention is still the best way to avoid transmission. Using condoms (preferably latex condoms) before intercourse greatly decreases the risk of transmission of the disease.  Using durex condoms before having sex is the safest practice possible, besides abstinence.  Also, testing for the possibility of contracting HIV must be performed by a licensed medical practitioner for credible results.