What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?

HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It causes AIDS, which is the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. So HIV is the germ, and the disease it causes is called AIDS.

HIV is the virus which infects people. AIDS is the condition which happens when the immune system is so weakened by HIV that various opportunistic diseases take hold, and eventually cause death.

If you get adequate and rapid medical treatment it is possible to have HIV without ever developing AIDS.

HIV, otherwise known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is the virus that causes AIDS. People who have the virus are known to be HIV Positive (HIV+). HIV is complex with many stages. In some cases, a person who is HIV+ may not show any symptoms for many years; however, they can still pass the virus onto other people. Over time, the virus starts to damage the immune system, the body's main source of protection from diseases. When the immune system weakens, the virus has reached a stage called AIDS where other diseases and infections, known as "opportunistic diseases," invade the body.


AIDS, otherwise known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is the end result of HIV. Once the HIV virus matures and weakens the immune system, the person is known to have full-blown AIDS.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome.

AIDS is, as detailed above, a combination of certain factors of which HIV is generally the progenitor; AIDS can be quite varied amongst patients in terms of signs/symptoms and prognosis.

HIV is an organism (I know, controversial, but I believe viruses show significant requirements for life; some bacteria are obligate intracellular parasites too!) and AIDS is a syndrome/collaboration of diseases.

HIV is the virus that causes the disease called AIDS.

HIV is the virus.. Once it reproduced in your system it weakens the immune response to other "opportunistic" diseases. When you have the HIV virus and your CDL count is below 200 and you have 3 "AIDS defining illnesses" (opportunistic) you are then categorized as having AIDS. Most of the time, 10 years passes before the transition from HIV to AIDS, but it depends on you immune system, and CDL count. Some people live with it a lot longer than others.

HIV is the virus that causes/leads to AIDS. There are many treatments now for HIV so a person can live a long life without AIDS.

HIV(Human Immunodeficiency Virus),is the virus that attacks T-cells in the body weakening the immune system, making the carrier susceptible to uncommon disease.Symptoms of the HIV usually take 10-15 years to manifest themselves or even longer if you take a large number of different medications daily at the start of the infection to slow the progression of the HIV.These symptoms occur over the entire infection peroid as unusual sensitivity to colds, infections,ect.,but once a person with the HIV has a highly uncommon and rare disease a healthy person would fail to get, and a very low T-cell count, they are diagnosed to have AIDS ( Acquired Immunodefciency Syndrome) due to the weakened immune system.Eventually AIDS will cause the body to not be able to fight off a rare disease and the person will die from that disease.In short,HIV is the virus that weakens your immune system, and AIDS is the condition in which you are sensitive to a rare disease due to a weakened immune system brought upon by the HIV attacking and destroying your T-cells.

As already stated HIV is a viral infection. But HIV and AIDS are just two sides of the same coin. For a person who is HIV positive to be classified as having AIDS one needs one of the following: Any AIDS defining disease eg. kaposi sarcoma, oesophageal candida, PCP, etc. OR have a CD4 count of below 200.

To put it another way.

HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
AIDS: Advanced Immuno Deficiency Syndrome

HIV is a virus, and AIDS is a syndrome. A virus is a microscopic entity that uses living host cells to reproduce itself. A syndrome is a an association of symptoms that occur together.

Same answer. Short and sweet.

HIV is the virus contracted. AIDS is the disease the you may get as a result of contracting the virus.

HIV is the virus that may causes AIDS. HIV belongs to a subset of viruses called retroviruses or slow virus. AIDS is the final stage of the HIV infection.so let's play it safe and avoid indulging in unsafe activities and send some rubber to our friends via :sendsomerubber.com

Vital load, or the amount of the virus present in the body, I believe.

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS..One can be infected with HIV and not have any of the symptoms of AIDS. And HIV usually has a very long incubation period before it becomes full-blown AIDS.

It certainly is confusing for many people what is the difference between HIV and AIDS. In short, HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

Yes there is. I am not sure of the exact difference, but you get HIV first, and then that leads to AIDS, HIV does not kill you, AIDS does.

HIV is the name of the organism that causes the disease AIDS, in the same way that the bacteria "Yersinia pestis" causes Black Plague.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

HIV is what Magic Johnson has, AIDS is what people who aren't rich get.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

you can not get aids without having hiv first. hiv is treatable, aids is not.

AIDS is the disease. HIV is the virus that can lead to it.

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

HIV is when your T cells are above 250 and AIDS is when they drop delow 250, then you are susceptable to OI's ( Opportuntistic Infections)

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

simple, AIDS is the disease and HIV is the cause...

HIV is the virus, AIDS is the disease.

As everyone already said HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS is a syndrome that encompasses many AIDS related diseases like Kaposi's Sarcoma which is an AIDS related cancer. It is not just one disease.

Aids is the result of HIV when Hiv takes down the immune system.