HIV & AIDS Information

AIDS - Still a hot topic

The meaning of AIDS is "acquired immune insufficience" and is caused by the "Humane Immundefizienz Virus" (HIV). HIV weakens the bodies immune system which means that people infected are unprotected against infections. We still don't know what exactly makes HIV positive people become AIDS patients. Many people affected show no symptoms for many years, but then are ill from one day to the other.

There still is no cure

There still is no cure for AIDS. The drugs used today can help to strengthen the immune system and hence minimize some of the pain, but they don't fight the virus as such. According to research sources, they will not be a remedy in the foreseeable future. Therefore, for the time being there is only one kind of protection: Be safe!

These figures speak for themselves

As of today, approx. 75.000 people in Germany have been registered HIV positive since the begin of the epidemic. Some 31.500 of those have developed AIDS symptoms. Approx. 26.000 people in Germany already died of AIDS!

The protection

There is no immunization or anything similar against AIDS today. However, HIV can be spread if the virus contracts the blood of another person. The best-known dangers are sexual contacts. The HI virus can get into a persons blood systems via tiny, often invisible wounds of the mucous membranes. You can protect yourself with a condom - if used the right way! This protection method should always be on your mind, because you will not only jeopardize yourself through unprotected intercourse, but may also infect others without knowing about it!