HIV

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Human immunodeficiency virus
Stylized rendering of a cross section of the human immunodeficiency virus
Stylized rendering of a cross section
of the human immunodeficiency virus
Scientific classification
Family: Retroviridae
Genus: Lentivirus
Species
  • Human immunodeficiency virus 1
  • Human immunodeficiency virus 2

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects the human immune system. It causes AIDS.

[edit] How people get HIV

People can get HIV through many ways, including:

  • Through the use of infected needles, syringes and razor blades
  • Unprotected sexual contact
  • Babies can get it from their mothers when they are born
  • Breast feeding
  • Coming in to contact with infected blood

[edit] How common HIV is

Percentage of adults that are infected with HIV per country at the end of 2005 ██ 15–50% ██ 5–15% ██ 1–5% ██ 0.5–1.0% ██ 0.1–0.5% ██ <0.1% ██ no data
Percentage of adults that are infected with HIV per country at the end of 2005

██ 15–50%

██ 5–15%

██ 1–5%

██ 0.5–1.0%

██ 0.1–0.5%

██ <0.1%

██ no data