"HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug : Heaven knows they need it."

- Princess Diana

What is HIV?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that invades the immune system and destroys it over time. The destruction of the immune system reduces a person’s ability to fight off infections and cancer. The majority of people infected with HIV eventually develop AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), which is often fatal.

What is AIDS?
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a disease in which the body's immune system breaks down and is unable to fight off certain infections, known as "opportunistic infections," and other illnesses that take advantage of a weakened immune system.

When a person is infected with HIV, the virus enters the body and lives and multiplies primarily in the white blood cells. These are the immune cells that normally protect us from disease. The hallmark of HIV infection is the progressive loss of a specific type of immune cell called T-helper or CD4 cells.

As the virus grows, it damages or kills these and other cells, weakening the immune system and leaving the individual vulnerable to various opportunistic infections and other illnesses, ranging from pneumonia to cancer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines someone as having a clinical diagnosis of AIDS if they have tested positive for HIV and meet one or both of these conditions:

They have experienced one or more AIDS-related infections or illnesses;

The number of CD4 cells has reached or fallen below 200 per cubic millimeter of blood (a measurement known as T-cell count). In healthy individuals, the CD4 count normally ranges from 450 to 1200.

How quickly do people infected with HIV develop AIDS?
In some people, the T-cell decline and opportunistic infections that signal AIDS develop soon after infection with HIV. Most people remain asymptomatic for 10 to 12 years, and a few for much longer. As with most diseases, early medical care can help prolong a person's life.

Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV/AIDS Update.
amfAR Aids Research, About HIV/Aids - Basic Facts About HIV/AIDS

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