same school, insect bites do not transmit the virus. There is also no risk of contracting HIV while donating blood, as all equipments used are sterile, used only once and discarded.

Once a person gets HIV infection, the antibody against HIV appears in the blood only after 3-6 months after the virus has entered the body. The routine test (ELISA) detects the antibody to HIV virus. A positive test means that the person is infected with HIV. A negative test result means that no antibodies were detected at the time of the test. This would mean that either the person is uninfected or is in the window period (The period where the HIV virus is present in the body but antibodies have not developed). If there is a strong suspicion of exposure to the virus, a repeat test may be required after few weeks to overcome the window period. Confirmation of HIV infection can be done by other tests such as Western-Blot test. To detect the virus itself, tests such as PCR tests and viral culture are available. These tests are especially useful to diagnose HIV infection in infants as they may have maternal antibodies to HIV virus in their blood, which may give a false positive ELISA test. These tests can also be used to diagnose HIV infection during window period.

REMEMBER, A POSITIVE TEST DOES NOT MEAN THE PERSON HAS AIDS. IT INDICATES THAT THE PERSON IS HIV INFECTED.

At present there is no cure for this disease. Certain drugs called as antiretroviral drugs (ART) slow down the progression of the disease and can help the patient lead a normal, healthy life. Certain vaccines are being developed against the HIV virus, however they are still in the trial phase. Thus, the best treatment is prevention against the infection.

First and foremost, the person suspected to have HIV infection should consult an HIV counselor and an HIV physician to understand the disease, various treatment options available and to ensure a normal healthy life as long as possible. Such a person should not have casual sex, should not donate blood or organs and in case of a female should avoid getting pregnant.
Adults should follow the following precautions:






To avoid mother to child transmission of HIV following steps have found to be beneficial:



A pregnant lady should undergo voluntary testing for HIV infection and it found positive should consult an HIV specialist for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV.