World Foundation Aids Research and PreventionUNESCO

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What is AIDS?

AIDS Prevention Basic Information

Although HIV causes AIDS, HIV infection does not mean AIDS straightaway!

Although HIV causes AIDS, HIV infection does not mean AIDS straightaway!
Although HIV causes AIDS, HIV infection does not mean AIDS straightaway!
Although HIV causes AIDS, HIV infection does not mean AIDS straightaway!

The three main transmission routes of HIV

The three main transmission routes of HIVHIV is a virus whose infectability is relatively low.
There is unlikely to be any risk of infection through casual contact or airborne route.
However, there are risks of infection for every one of us. It is important to make a wise decision about your own sexual behavior, such as being able to say NO when you feel insecure and avoid unsafe sex.

Sexual Contact
Sexual Contact
unprotected sexual relations between partners, one of whom has HIV
Exposure to infected blood
Exposure to infected blood
sharing drug injection needles
Mother-to-child
Mother-to-child
during pregnancy, child birth, or breastfeeding

Treatment of HIV

We have often have questions such as "Is the treatment of HIV infection covered by National Health Insurance?" "How much does it cost to receive the treatment?" "Is there any public support?" The answer is "Yes". The treatment of HIV infection is covered by National Health Insurance. If you have a physical disability certificate, you will be able to receive public financial support for your medical care.

Benefit for high-cost medical care・income security

The cost of HIV treatment depends on the physical condition of each person or treatment policy of each hospital, so it is difficult to estimate precisely how much it would cost to receive HIV treatment. However, generally speaking, without being covered by insurance it would cost at least \150,000- to \200,000- when you receive multi-drug treatment, the most common treatments for HIV infection. If you are covered by National Health Insurance, you would be charged 30 % of the medical costs, so you would have to pay \45,000- to \60,000- just for multi-drug treatment. Actually, you would be charged with regular blood tests, or other examinations as well. However, you could apply for public financial support for expensive medical care when it is over a certain prices or you could apply for social aid for low income.


Application for a booklet of Handicapped

If you are infected with HIV, you could apply for a booklet for a handicapped.
This booklet will allow you to receive social services such as financial support for medical care, and tax exemption, or discount for public transportation service, etc.
Each community has different services. So please talk to reception of your city services.

Reference : http://api-net.jfap.or.jp

Symptoms of AIDS

Symptoms of AIDSMost people experience no noticeable symptoms upon initial infection. However, fever, rashes, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, and a variety of less common symptoms may develop within a few weeks of HIV infection and last a few weeks. The symptoms disappear, although the lymph nodes may stay enlarged. An infected person is able to spread the virus soon after becoming infected; this is true even if there are no symptoms. A person can have HIV infection for years-even a decade or longer-before developing AIDS. Before AIDS develops, many people feel well, although some develop a variety of nonspecific symptoms. These symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, fatigue, recurring fever or diarrhea, anemia, and thrush (a fungal infection of the mouth).The main symptoms of AIDS are those of the specific opportunistic infections and cancers that develop.

Symptoms of AIDSHIV can also directly infect the brain, causing memory loss, weakness, difficulty walking, and difficulty in thinking and concentrating (dementia). In some people, HIV is probably directly responsible for AIDS wasting, which is a significant loss of weight with or without an obvious cause. Wasting in people with AIDS may also be caused by a series of infections or an untreated infection (such as tuberculosis) that persists. Kidney failure, which may be a direct effect of HIV, is more common in blacks than in whites. Kaposi's sarcoma, a cancer that appears as painless, red to purple, raised patches on the skin, affects many people with AIDS, especially homosexual men. Cancers of the immune system (lymphomas, typically non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) may develop, sometimes first appearing in the brain, where they can cause confusion, personality changes, and memory loss. Women are prone to developing cancer of the cervix. Homosexual men are prone to developing cancer of the rectum. Usually, death is caused by the cumulative effects of wasting, dementia, opportunistic infections, or cancers.

Reference: THE MERCK MANUAL MEDICAL LIBRARY http://www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html

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World Foundation Aids Research and Prevention
501-0501
1956 Inatomi Ono-cho Ibi-gun Gifu JAPAN
TEL : +81-585-34-3850
FAX : +81-585-34-3858

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