A fetus (your baby from 8 weeks gestation until birth) or newborn can become infected with HIV through

contact with virus in their mothers blood, cervical and vaginal secretions, and breast milk. Its the moms HIV status that matters, not the fathersHIV transmission to babies is all about the virus in their moms fluids, not in their fathers semen. If the mom stays HIV negative throughout her pregnancy, theres no risk to the baby even if the father is HIV positive. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. It can take years for a person infected with HIV, even without treatment, to reach this stage. Having AIDS means that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point at which the body has a difficult time fighting infections. When someone has one or more of these infections and a low number of T cells, he or she has AIDS. For more information view our questions and answers on HIV science. is the final and most serious stage of HIV disease, which causes severe damage to the immune system. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS begins when a person with HIV infection has a CD4 cell count below 200. CD4 cells are also called "T-cells" or "helper cells"; they are a type of immune cell. AIDS is also defined by numerous opportunistic infections and cancers that occur in the presence of HIV infection Instinctively, the first thing we want to know about a disease is whether it is going to kill us. As the Talmud says, pretty much all the rest is commentary.

Twenty-five years ago, this was the only question about AIDS we could answer with any certainty; how disorienting it is that now, vast quantities of commentary later, it is the only question we really cannot answer well at all.

AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death among persons between ages 25 and 44 in the United States, down from number one in 1995. About 25 million people worldwide have died from this infection since the start of the epidemic, and 40.3 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS globally Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes AIDS. The virus attacks the immune system and leaves the body vulnerable to a variety of life-threatening infections and cancers. Common bacteria, yeast, parasites, and viruses that ordinarily do not cause serious disease in people with healthy immune systems can cause fatal illnesses in people with AIDS. HIV has been found in saliva, tears, nervous system tissue and spinal fluid, blood, semen (including preseminal fluid), vaginal fluid, and breast milk. However, only blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk generally transmit infection to others.