The Well Project is a Not For Profit Corporation developed by and for women living with HIV, their health care providers and caregivers. Our website provides valuable resources and information in English and Spanish on the basics of HIV/AIDS, its treatment, women-specific issues and much more.
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HIV: The Basics
HIV: The Basics - An Overview
What is HIV?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).

HIV attacks the immune system's soldiers - the CD4 cells. When the immune system loses too many CD4 cells, you are less able to fight off infection and can develop serious opportunistic infections (OIs). A person is diagnosed with AIDS when he or she has less than 200 CD4 cells and/or one of 21 AIDS-defining OIs.
  • Common myth: "HIV doesn't cause AIDS."
  • Truth: If you don't have HIV, you can't get AIDS. If you have AIDS, you have HIV. There is 20 years of solid scientific proof on this. AIDS is not caused by party drugs, AZT, government conspiracies, or anything else but a virus.
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