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This is the most serious stage of HIV infection, called AIDS. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. There is no cure for HIV… but there is treatment. • There is no cure for HIV, but with proper care and treatment, most people with HIV can avoid getting AIDS and can stay healthy for a long time. • Anti-HIV drugs have to be taken every day. They cannot get rid of HIV but they can keep it under control. Who can get HIV? Anyone can be infected with HIV, no matter... • your age • your sex • your race or ethnic origin • who you have sex with How does HIV get passed from one person to another? • Only fi ve body fl uids can contain enough HIV to infect someone: blood, semen (including pre-cum), rectal fl uid, vaginal fl uid and breast milk. • HIV can only get passed when one of these fl uids from a person with HIV gets into the bloodstream of another person—through broken skin, the opening of the penis or the wet linings of the body, such as the vagina, rectum or foreskin. • HIV cannot pass through healthy, unbroken skin. The two main ways that HIV can get passed between you and someone else are: • through unprotected sex (anal or vaginal sex without a condom) • by sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs (including steroids) HIV can also be passed: • by sharing needles or ink to get a tattoo • by sharing needles or jewellery to get a body piercing • by sharing acupuncture needles • to a fetus or baby during pregnancy, birth or breast-feeding HIV cannot be passed by: • talking, shaking hands, working or eating with someone who has HIV • hugs or kisses • coughs or sneezes • swimming pools • toilet seats or water fountains • bed sheets or towels • forks, spoons, cups or food • insects or animals HIV can be passed during unprotected sex. This means: • vaginal or anal sex without a condom • oral sex without a condom or dental dam (a piece of latex used to cover the vulva or anus) • sharing sex toys Oral sex is not as risky as vaginal or anal sex, but it’s not completely safe. Protect yourself and your partner(s) from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). You can have sex with little or no risk of passing on or getting HIV. This is called safer sex. Safer sex also helps protect you and your partner(s) from other STIs, such as gonorrhea and syphilis. People can have HIV or other STIs without knowing it because these infections often do not cause symptoms. You could have HIV or another STI and not know it. Also, don’t assume that your partner(s) knows whether they have HIV or any other STI. The only way to know for sure is to be tested. To practise safer sex… • Use a latex or polyurethane condom correctly every time you have vaginal or anal sex. • Use only water-based or silicone based lubricants. (Oil-based lubricants can make latex condoms break.) • Get tested for STIs regularly. Having an STI increases your risk of getting and passing on HIV. • Avoid sharing sex toys, and if you do, cover each one with a new condom before each use. It is also important to clean your toys between vaginal and anal use. • Use a condom or dental dam every time you have oral sex. • Choose forms of sexual stimulation that pose little or no risk for HIV, like masturbation or sensual massage. With a view to facilitating the scaling up of access to antiretroviral therapy, and in line with a public health approachi , this publication outlines recent revisions WHO has made to case definitions for surveillance of HIV and the clinical and the immunological classification for HIVrelated disease. HIV case definitions are defined and harmonized with the clinical staging and immunological classifications to facilitate improved HIV-related surveillance, to better track the incidence, prevalence and treatment burden of HIV infection and to plan appropriate public health responses. The revised clinical staging and immunological classification of HIV are designed to assist in clinical management of HIV, especially where there is limited laboratory capacity. The final revisions outlined here are derived from a series of regional consultations with Member States in all WHO regions held throughout 2004 and 2005, comments from public consultation and the deliberations of a global consensus meeting held in April 2006. In most countries, reporting of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases has been incomplete and children are rarely included. Further, timely and appropriate use of antiretroviral therapy delays and may prevent the development of AIDS as previously defined.