HIV and AIDS General Information HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system, eventually destroying its ability to fight off diseases. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The virus is carried in the blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk of infected people.
Babies born to infected mothers can also become infected.
You can not catch HIV through casual, day to day contact with other people. People with AIDS have immune systems that are severely damaged. They may not even know that they have HIV, but they can still pass the virus along to others . HIV is the second leading cause of death among people ages 24 to 44. It is the leading cause of death for African Americans in this age group.