HIV Information for Kids

HIV can be a difficult subject to talk about with children. It is important to speak in terms they can understand and to reassure them that HIV is not easy to contract.

What Is HIV?

• When people say "HIV," they are talking about human immunodeficiency virus. This means it's a virus that hurts the immune system that keeps you healthy. If it hurts too many of the antibodies that are trying to fight it, the virus becomes acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS.

How Do You Get HIV?

• The only way to contract HIV is by being in contact with the body fluids of someone with HIV. You can't get it from touching or standing next to someone. Sexual contact with someone who has HIV is one way to get it, as is sharing a hypodermic needle with someone with HIV. HIV can also be passed from mother to child through birth or breast milk. Finally, it can be contracted by blood transfusion.

How Can You Tell Who Has HIV?

• Many people with HIV don't have symptoms for year, and look like everyone else. Eventually, flu-like symptoms may develop, including swollen lymph nodes and fevers. As the virus continues to grow, those infected often feel tired frequently. It can affect all of the body's organs, often causing cancers in various parts. Even then, though, there is no way to know just by looking if someone has HIV.

How Do You Know If You Have HIV?

• People only need a test if they think they have come in contact with the body fluids of someone with HIV or if you don't know their HIV status. They can go to the doctor to have their blood taken and tested for the virus.

How Do You Treat HIV?

• HIV can't be cured, but there are medications that attack it and help people be as healthy as possible for as long as possible. You can also prevent it by not having sex or sharing needles with infected people.

Who Has HIV?

• About 42 million people around the world suffer from HIV or AIDS right now. There are some children who have it, but most are adults.