Background: As time passes, the number of HIV copies keeps increasing, while the number of helper T cells keeps decreasing. The graph in Figure below shows how the number of T cells typically declines over a period of many years following the initial HIV infection. As the number of T cells decreases, so does the ability of the immune system to defend the body. As a result, an HIV-infected person develops frequent infections. Medicines can slow down the virus but not get rid of it, so there is no cure at present for HIV infections or AIDS. There also is no vaccine to immunize people against HIV infection, but scientists are working to develop one.

Situation: Jacob recently contracted the HIV virus and is going to his first support meeting. While there, he meets Dan and strikes up a conversation with him. Dan says that he has had HIV for over a decade at this point and has learned ways to live with it. He is able to give Jacob some good advice on how to handle things and Jacob is very grateful to have someone to talk with.

Question: Who has less T cells, Jacob or Dan?
Answer: Dan

Situation: Jacob recently contracted the HIV virus and is going to his first support meeting. While there, he meets Dan and strikes up a conversation with him. Dan says that he has had HIV for over a decade at this point and has learned ways to live with it. He is able to give Jacob some good advice on how to handle things and Jacob is very grateful to have someone to talk with.

Question: Who has more T cells, Jacob or Dan?
Answer: Jacob

Situation: Jacob recently contracted the HIV virus and is going to his first support meeting. While there, he meets Dan and strikes up a conversation with him. Dan says that he has had HIV for over a decade at this point and has learned ways to live with it. He is able to give Jacob some good advice on how to handle things and Jacob is very grateful to have someone to talk with.

Question: Is Dan's immune system weaker or stronger than Jacob's?
Answer: weaker

Situation: Jacob recently contracted the HIV virus and is going to his first support meeting. While there, he meets Dan and strikes up a conversation with him. Dan says that he has had HIV for over a decade at this point and has learned ways to live with it. He is able to give Jacob some good advice on how to handle things and Jacob is very grateful to have someone to talk with.

Question: Is Jacob's immune system weaker or stronger than Dan's?
Answer: stronger

Situation: Jacob recently contracted the HIV virus and is going to his first support meeting. While there, he meets Dan and strikes up a conversation with him. Dan says that he has had HIV for over a decade at this point and has learned ways to live with it. He is able to give Jacob some good advice on how to handle things and Jacob is very grateful to have someone to talk with.

Question: Which person's body will struggle more to defend from the HIV infection?
Answer: Dan

Situation: Jacob recently contracted the HIV virus and is going to his first support meeting. While there, he meets Dan and strikes up a conversation with him. Dan says that he has had HIV for over a decade at this point and has learned ways to live with it. He is able to give Jacob some good advice on how to handle things and Jacob is very grateful to have someone to talk with.

Question: Which person's body will struggle less to defend from the HIV infection?
Answer: Jacob

Situation: Jacob recently contracted the HIV virus and is going to his first support meeting. While there, he meets Dan and strikes up a conversation with him. Dan says that he has had HIV for over a decade at this point and has learned ways to live with it. He is able to give Jacob some good advice on how to handle things and Jacob is very grateful to have someone to talk with.

Question: Who will develop infections more frequently?
Answer: Dan

Situation: Jacob recently contracted the HIV virus and is going to his first support meeting. While there, he meets Dan and strikes up a conversation with him. Dan says that he has had HIV for over a decade at this point and has learned ways to live with it. He is able to give Jacob some good advice on how to handle things and Jacob is very grateful to have someone to talk with.

Question: Who will develop infections less frequently?
Answer: Jacob

Situation: Jacob recently contracted the HIV virus and is going to his first support meeting. While there, he meets Dan and strikes up a conversation with him. Dan says that he has had HIV for over a decade at this point and has learned ways to live with it. He is able to give Jacob some good advice on how to handle things and Jacob is very grateful to have someone to talk with.

Question: Does Jacob have more or less copies of HIV in his body than Dan?
Answer: less

Situation: Jacob recently contracted the HIV virus and is going to his first support meeting. While there, he meets Dan and strikes up a conversation with him. Dan says that he has had HIV for over a decade at this point and has learned ways to live with it. He is able to give Jacob some good advice on how to handle things and Jacob is very grateful to have someone to talk with.

Question: Does Dan have more or less copies of HIV in his body than Jacob?
Answer: more