What is AIDS?

AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a specific group of diseases or conditions which are indicative of severe immunosuppression related to infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).⁽¹⁾

A person who is infected with HIV receives an AIDS diagnosis in one of two ways:⁽²⁾

	The person is diagnosed with one or more of a group of medical conditions known as "opportunistic infections” that are closely associated with a depressed immune system or
	There is evidence that the person's immune systems has been depressed as shown by a diminished supply of CD4 cells in the blood.

Footnotes

(1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1999. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report: U.S. HIV and AIDS cases reported through December 1999. Vol. 11, No. 2.

(2) Richard Sorian and Jennifer Kates, "The State of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in America." April 2000.  Kaiser Family Foundation. Capitol Hill Briefing Series of HIV/AIDS. Available in adobe acrobat.

For a list of other materials used on this website, see References.