"AIDS today is not a death sentence. It can be treated as a chronic illness, or a chronic disease."- Yusuf Hamied

What is HIV?

HIV stands for Human Immuno - deficiency Virus. It is the name of the virus that causes AIDS. Viruses are the smallest and simplest living organisms. They are so small that they cannot be seen under a light microscope. One requires an electron microscope to see them. HIV causes reduction of body's capability to fight against various infections in human body. It makes the body weak and sick.

What is AIDS?
The word AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is a medical diagnosis for a combination of symptoms, which results from a breakdown of the immune system. 'A' stands for acquired which means that it is obtained or received by a person and is something, which is not genetically inherited. 'ID' stands for Immuno Deficiency which means there is deficiency in the immune system or that the immune system is weakened. 'S' stands for syndrome that stands to emphasize that AIDS is not just one disease or symptom but presents as a group of diseases or symptoms.

What is the immune system?
The immune system carries out the body's defence against infections produced by pathogenic (disease-causing) agents and it also destroys or eliminates foreign bodies. It is now known that HIV erodes the immune system by killing the cells, which compose it. The more cells that die as a result of HIV infection, the more difficult the body's struggle against infection becomes. The cells that HIV preferentially attacks are known as CD4 cells or T4 lymphocytes. They are the most important cells for the body's defence. A count of these cells in the blood also serves as an index for monitoring the infection's progress: as infection progresses, the number of these cells lowers. In persons who have AIDS, infections that occur as a result of HIV infection are also known as "opportunistic" because they are contracted only when the immune system fails to function adequately and the ability to fight disease-causing agents has been lost.

What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. In other words HIV is the reason and AIDS is the result.

How does HIV get spread?
HIV may be found in the blood cells, bodily fluids, and secretions of infected persons in varying quantities at different times. For instance, HIV may be easily isolated in semen, vaginal secretions, and blood. It also has been isolated in breast milk. The virus is transmitted from infected person to others through blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk.

HIV may be transmitted by
Transfusion of infected blood from one person to another
Through the Unprotected penetrative sex with an infected person
Use of unsterilized needles and syringes
From an infected mother to her child

1.Through Unprotected Penetrative Sex
Sexual contact with an infected person is the most commonly found mode of HIV transmission till date, especially through unprotected sex, which stands for any sexual act involving penetration without a condom.
o One could get infected with HIV if he/she has sex with an infected man / woman without taking proper protection.
o One might get infected at the very first time he/she indulges in sex if the partner is already carrying the infection.
o If one indulges into sex with many partners, he/she has a high chance of getting infected with HIV as in that case, it becomes a tough task to know whether the partner is already infected or not.
2. Through Infected blood
HIV can enter the body when blood that contains HIV is given to a person through blood transfusion.
3. Through Infected Needle
This mode of transmission includes the use of contaminated needles and syringes, transfusions involving HIV-infected blood, and transplants involving HIV-infected organs and tissues. When an infected person injects intravenous drugs, the needle and the syringe used become contaminated with infected blood. If another person uses these implements without sterilizing them, the HIV-contaminated blood of the first user enters the bloodstream of the second. HIV can also enter the body when sharp tools used to cut the skin (such as ear piercing) are not cleaned and sterilized properly.
4. From infected mother to the child
The chances of passing HIV to child from infected mother before or during birth are about one in four, or 25 percent, for each pregnancy while the mother is already infected to the virus. The virus can be transmitted from infected mother to child
o During pregnancy
o During birth
o During breast-feeding There are about 5 - 15 percent chances of passing the HIV infection from a mother to her child through breast milk.

What are the symptoms of HIV?
Primary HIV infection is the first stage of HIV disease, when the virus first establishes itself in the body. Some researchers use the term acute HIV infection to describe the period of time between when a person is first infected with HIV and when antibodies against the virus are produced by the body (usually 6- 12 weeks).
Some people newly infected with HIV experience some "flu-like" symptoms. These symptoms, which usually last no more than a few days, might include fevers, chills, night sweats and rashes (not cold-like symptoms). Other people either do not experience "acute infection," or have symptoms so mild that they may not notice them.
Given the general character of the symptoms of acute infection, they can easily have causes other than HIV, such as a flu infection. For example, if one had some risk for HIV a few days ago and are now experiencing flu-like symptoms, it might be possible that HIV is responsible for the symptoms, but it is also possible that he/she has some other viral infection.

HIV/AIDS ACT
Copy of the HIV and AIDS Act, 2017/major provisions of the HIV and AIDS Act, 2017 The West Bengal Human Immunodeficiency Virus & Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Ombudsman & Legal Proceedings) rules, 2021
Rights of protected people mentioned under the Act.


RIGHT TO TREATMENT: A person suffering from any ailment has the right to get treatment for his suffering. Treatment cannot be denied to a patient on the basis of his HIV/AIDS status. If any HIV/AIDS patient is denied treatment, it amounts to discrimination. The Supreme Court of India has issued directions to make second-line HIV/AIDS treatment available free of cost to all those who need it.

CONFIDENTIALITY: A person who has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS has the right to keep his/her HIV/AIDS status confidential. Even the Courts have delivered judgments in their favour that if they do not want to disclose their identity they can use a pseudonym before the Courts to suppress their identity.

RIGHT TO EMPLOYMENT AND RIGHT AGAINT DISCRIMINATION AT WORKPLACE: Right against discrimination is a fundamental right possessed by a citizen of India. No one can be discriminated on the basis of his HIV/AIDS status in India. HIV/AIDS patients have a right of equal treatment everywhere and they cannot denied job opportunity or discriminated in employment matters on the ground of their HIV/IDS status.