Glossary of HIV/AIDS Terms

A:
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS): It is a deterioration of the immune system as a result of diseases such as wasting syndrome, invasive cervical cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma, pneumonia, etc. Because of exhaustion of T-helper cells the immune system is hardly weakened. Also the real cause of such disease is a retrovirus, HIV.

Anal sex: Human coitus with the penis in the anus.

Antibiotic: A substance which is used to kill infectious organisms or to inhabit their fast growth.

Autoimmune disease: It is associated with a problem with transplants. It is the result of an individual’s own tissue.

AZT: The first drug on the market of AIDS, which chemical name is 3’-azidothymidine. It was thought that AZT would help to win this fatal disease but it didn’t solve this problem. It can only reduce AIDS progressiveness.

B:
Behavior intervention/modification programs: Some education programs for changing a specific behavior.

Bisexual: A person who can have sex with both men and women. Sometimes it can be observed in relations between teens.

B lymphocytes (B cells): One of the cell types of immune system which fight against disease or infection by making antibodies.

C:
Chronic: Confirmed, permanent or continuous disease, for instance, AIDS/HIV.

Combination therapy: The treatment with the help of two or more drugs which are used together, in combination or alternatively.

Condom: It is so-called barrier for sperm penetration into the woman’s vagina. It should be put on the man’s penis for sexual coitus. Also, it is used for AIDS and HIV prevention.

Cytotoxic: A type of T cell. This term is used for the description of something which can kill or damage cells.

D:
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid): A double strand of chemical building blocks (nucleotides) which contains genetic information.

E:
Elisa (also ELISA): The blood assay test which was developed by Abbott Labs in 1984 for testing HIV antibodies in the blood.

Epidemic: An infectious disease which is widely spread between lots of people in such area as a country.

Experimental drug: The drug which is used first time, but already tested.

F:
Female condom: It is so-called barrier for sperm penetration into the woman’s vagina which is put inside the vagina before human coitus.

G:
Gamma globulin (IgG): Plasma portion that contains antibodies.

Gay: Homosexual, a man who has sex only with men.

Gp120: Some virus which can damage to the immune system, other parts of body.

H:
Hemophilia: A heritable disease that prevents the normal clotting of blood. It is known that lots of people who were HIV/AIDS infected suffered from hemophilia.

Hepatitis B (HBV): A liver disease which can occur in people with impaired immunity. It can be chronic, acute or sometimes life-threatening.

Heterosexual: Women who have sex with men and men who have sex with women.

Homosexual: Unisexual love. Men who have sex with men; women who have sex with women (lesbian).

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV): The real cause of AIDS, so-called retrovirus.

I:
Immunity: An acquired and natural organism resistance to diseases. It can be complete or partial, temporary or long lasting.

Incidence: Such frequency with which can occur AIDS cases and HIV infections within a specified period of time.

Incubation period: Latency period.

Inhibitor: A substance, drug or chemical which prevents, inhibits or blocks something from happening. There is a new protease inhibitor which should inhibit HIV progression.

Intercourse: Human coitus. Such sexual activity in which the penis penetrates in the vagina or anus.

K:
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS): Purple painless spots on the skin or lugs which occur because of rapid growth of blood vessels. This disease can be accompanied with fever, stomach problems and enlarged lymph nodes.

Knowledge, Attitude, Belief and Practice Survey (KABP): Questionnaire surveys which are used as a prime HIV/AIDS educational research methodology.

L:
Latency: An incubation period when an organism doesn’t produce any ill effects in the body. As for HIV, it is never latent, but an infected person doesn’t feel bad and usually he has not any symptoms of this disease.

Latex condom: Condoms which are made from latex material, the quality and effectiveness of AIDS protection is really better than in other condoms, for instance, ultra-thin.

Lesbian: Women who have sex with women.

Lymph Glands: So-called immune system centers which filter out all infection particles, at the same time protect the bloodstream from real infection.