Causes of AIDS

Although there has been much controversy about this, the answer seems very simple.  AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).  How it happens is that HIV destroys the body's ability to fight infections and certain cancers.  It does this by damaging and destroying the cells of the immune system, especially CD4+ T cells.  HIV-infected people are diagnosed with AIDS when their CD4+ T-cell count falls below 200 cells/cubic millimeter (mm3) of blood. Healthy adults usually have CD4+ T-cell counts of 600-1,500/mm3 of blood. 

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A very simple, easy-to-understand reference source:

Causes of HIV

HIV is caused by sharing bodily fluids with an infected person.  This is usually through

  1. Sexual contact with an infected person
  2. Sharing needles with an infected person
  3. Blood transfusion of infected blood (relatively rare these days)
  4. Mother-to-child transmission. 

There are a few other ways of being infected e.g. through organ or tissue transplants or unsterilized dental or surgical equipment, but these are very rare now.

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Note: HIV/AIDS is not caused by touching, hugging, holding someone who has the HI virus.  In order to be infected, bodily fluid from the infected person must enter your body.