• Home
• About Metro
  • Mission and Vision
  • About Metro Charities
  • News and Events
  • Executive Director
  • Board of Directors
  • Metro Program Directors
• Living With HIV
  • Metro Services
    • Case Management
    • Inmate Discharge Planning
    • Women's Personal Care Pantry
    • HIV/AIDS Service FAQs
    • Rights of Metro Clients
  • HIV/AIDS Medical Clinics
    • Pinellas County
    • Hillsborough County
  • Resources/Links
• HIV Prevention and Testing
  • Metro Hotline
  • Free HIV Testing
    • HIV Test FAQs
    • Why Be Tested?
    • Who Should Be Tested?
    • Where To Test
      • St Pete
      • Tampa
  • Learn More
    • Keeping Safe
    • HIV Basics
    • HIV Transmission
    • HIV Symptoms
    • Difference Between HIV and AIDS
    • HIV/AIDS Treatments
    • Myths About HIV/AIDS
    • Statistics
    • Links/Resources
    • Test Your Knowledge
• Minority Outreach
  • HIV Minority Statistics
  • Free HIV Testing for Minorities
  • HIV Prevention and Risk Reduction
  • Minorities Living With HIV
• Substance Abuse Programs
  • Outpatient Substance Abuse Programs
    • Facts About Substance Abuse
    • Substance Abuse and HIV
    • Getting Started
• Mental Health Programs
  • Facts About Mental Health
  • Mental Health Support Group Therapy
    • Living, Loving and Learning
    • W.E.L.L.
  • Newly Diagnosed HIV Counseling
  • Individual Counseling Sessions
  • Psychiatric Evaluations/Medication
  • Getting Started
• GLBT Metro Centers
  • What's Happening Now
  • About Metro GLBT Centers
  • GLBT Health
  • GLBT Events Calendar
    • St. Petersburg
    • Tampa
  • GLBT Cyber Center
  • Locations and Contact
• Support Metro
  • Give Money
    • How to Give
    • Donate Online
    • Corporate Sponsorships
    • Special Event Sponsorships
  • Give Time
    • About Metro Volunteers
    • Become a Volunteer
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Metro Volunteer Guidelines
    • Corporate Community Partners
• Metro Thrift Store
• Contact and Locations
• Employment
  • Case Management
  • Psychiatry/Counselors
  • Administrative
  • Miscellaneous

HIV Basics

What is HIV?
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus

H - Human - virus can only infect human beings
I - Immuno-deficiency - failure of the body’s immune system to work properly
V – Virus - one of its characteristics is that it is incapable of reproducing by itself. It reproduces by taking over the machinery of the human cell.

What is AIDS?
AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

AIDS is the most serious stage of HIV infection. It results from the destruction of the infected person's immune system.

A- Acquired: passed from one person to another
I- Immune: the body’s defense system against disease
D- Deficiency: lack/shortage of or breakdown
S- Syndrome: a combination of symptoms and diseases

What causes AIDS?
AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). That is, HIV is the VIRUS that causes AIDS.

HIV attacks and weakens the body’s immune system by destroying the body’s T-helper white blood cells; white blood cells are those cells in your body that fight infections.

Why Talk About AIDS?
The fastest growing group of new HIV/AIDS cases ( In the U.S.) is among African American and Hispanic women.

HIV and AIDS Facts
• A person infected with HIV may not show symptoms for five to ten years. People who look completely healthy can still have HIV.
• HIV can ALWAYS be passed to others, even if they have no symptoms of AIDS.
• Once HIV begins to destroy the body’s immune system, the affected person progresses through different phases of AIDS until they die.

(Source: Florida Department of Health)