For example, oral thrush is caused by a fungus which is normally found in the mouth but which does not usually cause infection in people with a healthy immune system. The transmission of HIV from an infected woman to her fetus or newborn child is referred to as perinatal transmission. As soon as an individual becomes infected, he or she is capable of infecting others through sex, blood and perinatally. HIV infection is lifelong. Prevalence The proportion of a defined population with the infection, disease or other health related event of interest at a given point or period in time.
Point prevalence is the proportion of a population with a disease at a specified point in time.
Period prevalence is the total proportion of a population known to have had the disease at any time during a specified period. The term includes those who earn money through sexual labour on a regular basis, as well as those who do it casually or informally, or on an intermittent basis. Any sexual practice that aims to reduce the risk of passing HIV from one person to another is safer sex. Examples are non-penetrative sex, or vaginal intercourse with a condom. A measure of the responsiveness of a test to the presence of HIV infection.