OVERVIEW

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.  The disease caused by the slow-acting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).  HIV prevents the immune system from working properly.  Normally, the body’s immune system would fight off infection.  But HIV is able to infect key cells, which coordinate the immune system’s fight against infection.  A damaged immune system is unable to protect the body against certain specific ‘opportunistic’ infections and tumors. 

These are called opportunistic because they are caused by organisms which are normally controlled by the immune system but which ‘take the opportunity’ to cause disease if the immune system has been damaged.  Having AIDS means that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point at which the body has a difficult time fighting infections.  AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection.

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