Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which breaks down the body's immune system, leaving it highly susceptible to rare or opportunistic infections and cancers. Typical illnesses associated with AIDS include Kaposi's Sarcoma, an unusual form of cancer, and Pnuemocystis Carninii Pneumonia (PCP), a rare lung infection. These diseases and others are life threatening to a person who has AIDS.

Eighty-five percent of those infected with HIV will develop some form of immune system deficiency within ten years of having been infected with HIV. If one tests positive for the HIV antibody or antigen, whether associated with symptoms or not, changes in lifestyle are essential to prevent transmission of the life threatening virus to other people. A small percentage of those infected with HIV may be asymptomatic.

Symptoms of AIDS

Many of the symptoms associated with AIDS are also symptoms of other less severe illnesses such as the common cold, bronchitis or mono-nucleosis. However, symptoms related to AIDS are usually more persistent than those associated with other ailments. Symptoms of AIDS may include:

• prolonged fever or night sweats;
• sudden, unexplained weight loss (more than 10 pounds);
• swollen glands in the neck, armpits or groin areas;
• persistent, dry cough that is not caused from smoking;
• thick, white coating on the tongue or throat sometimes accompanied by a sore throat);
• shortness of breath;
• bruising more easily than normal;
• purple patches on or beneath the skin, sometimes first appearing on the ankles, legs or inside the mouth;
• diarrhea.

Again, other illnesses may have the same symptoms. Consult your physician if you have any questions or concern.

Transmission of HIV

HIV infection is transmitted primarily through sexual contact, either homosexual or heterosexual, involving the exchange of or exposure to body fluids. It may also be transmitted through exposure to infected blood or blood products, usually from sharing contaminated needles or by transfusion of infected blood products. Additionally, HIV can be transmitted to the unborn or newborn child of a mother who carries the virus.

There are certain behaviors which put individuals at a high risk of contracting HIV. These risk behaviors include:

• sharing drug needles and syringes;
• anal sex without a condom;
• vaginal or oral sex with someone who injects drugs or engages in anal sex;
• sex with someone you don't know well (a pickup) or with someone you know has several partners (people who have sex in exchange for money or drugs);
• unprotected sex (without a condom and spermicide) with an infected person.

There is no evidence HIV can be spread through casual contact such as hugging, kissing, hand shaking or talking to someone who is infected. HIV cannot be spread by sneezing, sharing eating utensils or toilet seats. One should not fear or avoid casual contact with individuals infected with HIV.

There is no risk of getting infected with HIV by donating blood. Before donation, the donor's arm is thoroughly cleansed with a disinfectant and a sterile, single-use needle is used for each donor.

Safety Procedures

All blood collected by Community Blood Services of Illinois and other blood centers across the country is tested for the presence of HIV antigen and HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies using state of the art technology. The combination of these tests enables the detection of HIV in approximately fourteen days after exposure. In January 1995 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the risk of HIV infection from a blood transfusion to be less than one in 420,000.

Since HIV may not be detectable until fourteen days after exposure, several measures have been implemented by the blood center to ensure the safety of the blood supply. They are:

• educating potential donors and insisting that they refrain from blood donation if they engage in high risk behavior;
• requiring all donors to fill out a health history questionnaire prior to each donation that includes questions pertaining to AIDS and its symptoms (anyone with symptoms suggestive of AIDS is automatically deferred);
• providing a confidential method of voluntary self-exclusion. All donors use bar code stickers to indicate whether or not their blood should be used for transfusion to a patient. The bar code sticker method is totally confidential as bar codes can only, be read by a scanning machine in our laboratory. A donor who uses the "NO" sticker actually goes through the donation process, but when the "NO" sticker is detected, the donation is destroyed following testing. Testing is performed on all blood regardless of the donor's choice of bar code sticker;
• providing blood donors with a card that includes a number identifying their blood donation. If after donating the donor believes their blood should not be used for transfusion, they can phone the blood center within 24 hours, identify the number listed on the card, and request that their donation not be used. The blood will be destroyed. The donor is not asked to identify himself or herself or to specify any particular reason when calling. Confidentiality for the donor is strictly maintained.

Community Blood Services of Illinois will modify its testing and/or screening of donors as warranted by advances in medical technology or changes in FDA regulations.

Positive Tests

If a donor tests positive for the HIV antigen and/or antibody, he or she is confidentially notified. Arrangements are made for the donor to meet with the blood center's Medical Director and/or Technical Director to discuss the test results, modes of transmission and available referral networks. The donor is instructed to contact his or her physician for additional follow-up.