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  • Venue Booking
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • Message from Chief Executive
    • Organization Structure
    • Vision and Mission
    • Strategic Directions
    • Milestones
    • Recognition
  • Get Help
    • Know More About HIV
      • HIV Transmission
      • Common Symptoms
      • Prevention
      • Treatment
    • HIV Antigen & Antibody Test
    • Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
    • Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)
    • Suspected to be HIV Infected
    • People Living with HIV
      • Pathology
      • Daily Living
      • Treatment
      • Support
    • HIV Infections’ Family & Friends
    • About STIs
      • Gonorrhea
      • Syphilis
      • Symptoms and Prevention of Chlamydia
      • Genital Warts
      • Herpes
      • Pubic lice
      • Hepatitis A
      • Hepatitis B
      • Hepatitis C
  • Testing
    • Free Testing Service Introduction
    • AIDS Concern Health Service Center Service Hours and Bad Weather Arrangement
    • Online Risk Assessment
    • Book A Free Test Now
    • Free Mobile Testing
    • HIV and Syphilis Self-testing
      • HIV Self-test (Finger-prick blood test)
      • Oral fluid test
      • Syphilis (Treponema Pallidum) Antibodies Test
      • Shall we talk? HIV Self-test Support Service
    • Locations of HIV Testing Service in Hong Kong
  • Our Services
    • People Living with HIV (PLHIV) Services
    • Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) Services
    • Male Health (Heterosexual) Services
    • Youth Services
    • Policy & Research
      • PrEP and PEP
      • Self-Testing (Home Testing) in Hong Kong
      • Dr. Rainbow Scheme
      • Safeguarding the Rights of People Living with HIV
      • Safeguarding the Legal Rights of Sexual Minorities
      • Promoting Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Young People
      • Ethnic Minorities
  • Media
    • Events
    • Press Release
    • Newsletter
    • Annual report
    • Other Publication
  • Support Us
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Become Our Volunteer
    • Career Opportunities
  • Donation
    • One-off Donation
    • Monthly Donation
      • Individual Donation
      • Corporate Donation
      • Top-Up Monthly Donation
    • Legacy Donation
    • FAQ
  • MY PLACE
    • MY CHECK UP Sexual Health Screening
    • MY COACH Counselling
    • MY LIFE SKILLS Sex Education Workshops
    • MY PLEASURE Online Shop
    • MY PrEP Checkup and Medication
    • MY Self-Test for HIV and STIs
  • Venue Booking
  • Contact Us

Pathology

  • Home
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  • People Living with HIV
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  • What is AIDS?
  • What are the symptoms of HIV?
  • Is AIDS hereditary? Will a mother living with HIV pass HIV to her baby?

What is AIDS?

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (“HIV”) destroys people’s immune system, making the infected vulnerable to virus and bacteria, and eventually, leads to “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,” or AIDS.

HIV is incapable of causing direct symptoms, but once the virus enters the body through blood vessels, they will begin to attack the “T4 Lymphocytes” (white blood cells and macrophages) that reside within the immune system, weakening the immune system’s ability to self-repair. Meanwhile, some harmless diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and fungal infections, which normally do not affect healthy person, begin their infection and thus turn the HIV positive individual into an AIDS patient.

What are the symptoms of HIV?

Latency of HIV can last for several years until it destroys one’s immune system. Symptoms of HIV in the early stages include diarrhea, regular coughing, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss and swollen lymph nodes, or sometimes no symptoms. A person living with HIV may not have any initial symptoms and they cannot be identified by any external features. The most accurate way is to perform an HIV screening test. In the later stage of the HIV infection, many other aspects of the infected person’s body, including the skin, lungs, eyes, internal organs and brain, will be susceptible to other infections.

Is AIDS hereditary? Will a mother living with HIV pass HIV to her baby?

AIDS is not hereditary but develops after birth from contact with the HIV virus, for example through breastfeeding. During vaginal births, babies may come into contact with HIV in their mother’s blood and other fluids. Caesarean delivery reduces the risk of passing on the virus if the mother has a high viral load. It is also recommended that the baby takes treatment in the first six weeks in order to have extra protection against infection. Women planning a pregnancy are advised to have HIV testing and take treatment as soon as possible.

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