AIDS 101 Quiz - Answers

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a recognized infectious disease in which the body's immune system is damaged and causes those with AIDS to be vulnerable to a number of serious, often fatal, opportunistic infections and cancers.

Signs and symptoms of AIDS or other AIDS-related conditions may include loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, night sweats, skin rashes, diarrhea, tiredness, lack of resistance to infection or swollen lymph nodes.

Casual contact with people with AIDS, or those who are HIV-infected can place others at risk for acquiring AIDS. The virus can be spread by casual contact such as hugging, handshaking, riding in the same car, touching the same papers or using the same office furniture, typewriter or telephone.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is spread through sexual intercourse, anal or oral sex acts, sharing of hypodermic needles, syringes or other drug paraphernalia by infecting drug users, mother-to-child transmissions during pregnancy or childbirth, or rarely, through transfusions of HIV-infected blood or its components, or other exchanges of HIV-infected blood.

AIDS or its virus cannot be transmitted by using bathroom facilities, sinks, bathtubs, toilets, drinking from the same water fountain, using dishes, utensils, or food handled by a person with AIDS, or from sneezing, or coughing.

There is a virus antibody test that tells if someone has been infected with the virus (i.e., has a positive test result). This does not mean this individual has AIDS. In fact, many who have HIV may feel well, show no disease symptoms, and may not come down with AIDS for many years.

There is no risk at all that a donor could acquire HIV or AIDS by giving blood.

Dogs, cats, and domestic animals are not a source of infection; but transmission by insects, such as mosquitoes, is a means by which the virus may be acquired.

There is a high risk of contracting HIV or AIDS by being or working around someone with either condition on a daily basis over a long period of time.

You will need to take special measures at the workplace to protect yourself or those you work with from infection by HIV.