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hiv
My co worker is hiv positive what exactley does that mean
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If your co-worker is HIV positive, it essentially means that he or she has acquired the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
It used to be that people thought the virus could be spread through casual human contact and any number of other things but as research over the last several decades and experience has taught is, it is actually pretty difficult to transmit the disease. It can only be transmitted through direct contact between an infected person's bodily secretions or blood and another person's blood stream or bodily opening.
The virus used to come with a stigma but now we know that people of all different walks of life and lifestyles have become positive for HIV.
It also used to be basically a death sentence. However, with modern medicine and the right treatment, people can and do life long productive lives with this disease ultimately being a chronic and lifelong condition.
Ultimately, while it is a scary condition, so are things like diabetes, cancer and heart disease. There is no reason you or anyone should treat them as a pariah.
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Means they have contracted and carry the virus which ultimately progresses to AIDS. It is controlled by drugs, but cannot at present be cured or removed by any drugs, clinical or surgical process available to doctors. It is serious, but thankfully not highly contagious. Sharing cups or dining stuff, touching or contact cannot transfer it. Neither does sharing toilets or washing facilities. It is not spread by airbourne moisture droplets or particles (which the flu or common cold viruses are). The only way to contract the virus is via the exchange of live body fluids (blood, semen, vaginal secretions)and so it is absolutely no threat to you or anybody else around them. Unless they share hypodermic needles, are having penetartive sexual intercourse or somehow receive a transfusion of blood from them. Neither can it be transferred via clothing, as any blood, semen or vaginal fluids which have 'dried and died' in air cannot support the virus outside the body. The virus cannot live in saliva (spit) or urine, or faeces. That's all the dope, sorry if it's a bit graphic or unpleasant sounding. Hopefully one day we will find a real cure or inoculation. As it stands HIV is ultimately terminal, but what is called 'low contagion'. You can catch the flu virus ('high contagion') simply standing in a shop if someone with flu just breathes or sneezes near you. But NOT HIV. OK?
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This link explains both HIV and AIDS very well.
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Don't worry about being around your coworker. HIV cannot be spread through physical contact such as a handshake or a hug. You would need to come in contact with your coworker's blood or a significant amount of your coworker's body fluids in order to become infected. People who are HIV positive can live relatively normal lives and should not be treated any differently than anyone else. The only thing you should consider is that if you are sick, try to avoid contact with this person and take more personal responsibility to make sure that your sickness doesn't spread to others (something that you should do anyway!). Since your coworker's immune system is weakened by the virus, something like a mild cold could affect them much more severely than the average person. Just keep in mind that your coworker is not dangerous or fragile and again, should not be treated any differently.
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It is generally accepted to mean that if someone is HIV positive; they have the AIDS virus but have not yet contracted AIDS; it can be confusing. In order to be stricken with AIDS a person must first be stricken with the virus. Just having the virus though does not mean that person will develop full blown AIDS. They can be just a carrier for the virus.
For most people who are found to have the virus in them. Doctors will start them on the antiviral cocktail used to try and prevent AIDS or to treat patients with AID.
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