HIV/AIDS:ARE YOU AT RISK?
HIV is a virus.A virus is a very small living thing that causes disease.There are many different viruses,for example,the flu virus or the SARS virus.HIV weakens a person's immune system; that is,the part of the body that fights disease.You can have HIV in your blood for a long time,but eventually HIV will damage your immune system so much that you body can no longer fight disease.This stage of the illness is called AIDS.If you develop AIDS,your chances of survival are very small.
HIV is spread through blood or the fluid that the body makes during sex.For a person to become infected,blood or sexual fluid that carries the virus,has to get inside the body through broken skin or by injection.One day scientists will find a cure for HIV/AIDS.
Until that happens,you need to protect yourself.Here are some things you can do to make sure you stay safe.
If you inject drugs:
do not share your needle with anyone else.Blood from another person can stay on or in the needle.If a person has HIV and you use the same needle,you could inject the virus into your own blood.
do not share anything else that a person has used while injecting drugs.Blood could have spilt on it.
If you have sex with a male or a female:
use a condom.This will prevent sexual fluid passing from one person to another.
The following statements are NOT true.
A person cannot get HIV the first time they have sex.WRONG.If one sexual partner has HIV,the other partner could become infected.
You can tell by looking at someone whether or not they have HIV.WRONG.Many people carrying HIV look perfectly healthy.It is only when the disease has progressed to AIDS that a person begins to look sick.
Only homosexuals get AIDS.WRONG.Anyone who has sex with a person infected with H1V/AIDS risks getting the virus.Women are slightly more likely to become infected than men.
If you hug,touch or kiss someone with AIDS or visit them in their home,you will get HIV/AIDS.WRONG.You can only get the disease from blood or sexual fluid.Unfortunately,people with HIV sometimes lose their friends because of prejudice.Many people are afraid that they will get HIV/AIDS from those infected with HIV!AIDS.For the same reason,some AIDS patients cannot find anyone to look after them when they are sick.
You can get HIV/AIDS from mosquitoes.WRONG.There is no evidence of this.
HIV/艾滋：你正处于危险中吗?
HIV是一种病毒.病毒是一种微小的可引起疾病的生物.病毒有很多种类,例如,
流感病毒或者非典病毒.HIV使人体的
免疫系统衰弱,免疫系统是人体中对抗疾病的部分.HIV可能潜伏在血液中很长时间,但最终HIV将会严重地破坏你的免疫系统并使你无法
免疫疾病.这种患病的状态被称为
艾滋病.一旦你患上艾滋,你生存的几率将会非常微小.
HIV可以通过血液或者性行为中的体液传播.一个受感染的人,他的血液或者性器官的体液都含有病毒,
HIV病毒必须通过皮肤的伤口进入人体才能使人体受感染.除非有一天科学家找到一种治愈艾滋病的方法,在这之前你都要保护你自己（免受感染）.这里有几件事可以保证你处于安全.
如果你注射药品：
不要和任何人共用注射针.其他人的血液可能残留在针头上.如果你用了一个有HIV的人用过的针头,你可能将病毒注射到你自己的血液中.
不要同任何人公用注射的药品,血液可能建在上面.
如果你和异性产生性行为：
使用避孕套.这将会阻止性器官的体液交叉感染.
下列情况不是真实的.
一个人在他第一次性行为中不可能感染HIV.错!如果其性伴侣携带HIV,他将可能被感染.
你可以凭观察得知某人是否携带HIV.错!许多携带HIV的人看起来非常健康.只有当这种疾病升级为艾滋病的时候这个人才会开始看起来病了.
只有同性恋者才会得艾滋病.错!任何和
感染者产生性行为的人都有可能感染病毒.女性稍稍比男性更易被感染.
如果你拥抱、抚摸或是亲吻艾滋患者,或者是去他们家里做客,你将会感染艾滋.错!只有通过血液或者性行为中的体液你才可能患上艾滋.不幸的是,艾滋患者常常因为这种偏见而失去他们的朋友.很多人害怕通过上述行为感染艾滋.由于同样的原因,一些艾滋病人在他们病重的时候无法找人照看他们.
你可能从蚊虫（叮咬）的途径感染艾滋.错!现在并没有证据表明（这是对的）.