by injecting drugs using a needle or syringe which has already been used by someone who is infected. HIV can be passed on in both ways because the virus is present in the sexual fluids and blood of infected people. If infected blood or sexual fluid gets into your blood, then you will become infected. Some people have been infected through a transfusion of infected blood. But in most countries all the blood used for transfusions is now tested for HIV.

In 2004, 640,000 children under 15 were newly infected with HIV, bringing the total number of children living with HIV to 2.2 million. About half of all new adult HIV infections occur among 15-24 year olds. Learn more about USAID's efforts to prevent HIV in children and young people:

Mosquitoes bite infected birds and then bite people, injecting the virus into the blood. It can't be passed from person to person or from a bird or other animal to a person.

Most people experience NO symptoms at all from their initial infection. Some people may come down with very common flu-like symptoms, but they are virtually indistinguishable from a regular flu. It takes an average of 5 to 10 years after infection for most people to develop symptoms. People with HIV who use drugs and/or alcohol or are otherwise unhealthy (poor nutrition, stress, lack of sleep) may accelerate the disease process.

estimated 33% of the 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide are co-infected with TB. Furthermore, without proper treatment, approximately 90% of people living with HIV/AIDS die within months of contracting TB. The majority of people who are co-infected with both diseases live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Globally the number of people living with the virus reached 38.6 million in 2005. An estimated 4.1 million people acquired the HIV in 2004 ? 200 000 were children, of whom more than 90% were infected through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). Almost 90% of these new child infections occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. According to UNAIDS, 2.8 million people died of AIDS in 2005. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to about 64% of all people living with HIV and accounts for almost 71% of deaths globally.

The main route of human infection is direct contact with infected poultry or surfaces and objects contaminated with their feces or blood. To date, most human cases have occurred in rural and periurban areas where households keep small poultry flocks that roam freely, often entering homes and sharing children's outdoor play areas. Large quantities of the virus are excreted in the feces of infected poultry.

Direct contact with infected poultry, or surfaces and objects contaminated by their faeces, is presently considered the main route of human infection. To date, most human cases have occurred in rural or periurban areas where many households keep small poultry flocks, which often roam freely, sometimes entering homes or sharing outdoor areas where children play.

The principle route of human infection with West Nile virus is through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which may circulate the virus in their blood for a few days. The virus eventually finds its way into the mosquito's salivary glands. During subsequent blood meals, the virus may be injected into humans and animals, where it can multiply and possibly cause illness.

Infected birds shed large numbers of virus in their saliva, nasal secretions and feces. Human illness has resulted from direct contact with birds and their feces or with environments contaminated with infected bird feces. In areas that have had human illness with the H5N1 virus it is fairly common to have chickens roaming free and potentially contaminating the environment. Children who play in a contaminated environment have been at risk of infection.

It is possible to be co-infected with HIV or hepatitis C, primarily because these two diseases are spread in the same manner as hepatitis B. Puoti, C. et al. Histological and virological features and follow up of hepatitis C carriers with normal aminotransferase levels. J Hepatol 2002; 37(1):117-23 ECC Jury. Short Statement of the First European Consensus Conference on the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C and B in HIV Co-Infected Patients. J of Hepat. Mar. 2005

Globally, 45 percent of adults living with HIV/AIDS are women. By region, this percentage varies considerably, from 57% in Sub-Saharan Africa, to 28% in East Asia and the Pacific. In 2004, 17.6 million women were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.

HIV can be passed on in both ways because the virus is present in the sexual fluids and blood of infected people. If infected blood or sexual fluid gets into your blood, then you will become infected. If a man with HIV has vaginal intercourse without a condom, infected fluid could pass into the woman's blood stream through a tiny cut or sore inside her body. This can be so small that you don't know about it.

Infection with HIV in this way is rare. There have only been a couple of documented cases of HIV transmission resulting from biting. In these particular cases, severe tissue tearing and damage were reported in addition to the presence of blood. REF: HOW AIDS CAN BE TRANSMITTED

A blood test can determine whether or not a person is infected with HIV. The most commonly used test detects antibodies (disease-fighting proteins) against HIV. It may take as long as three to six months for HIV antibodies to reach levels that are measurable in standard blood tests.

The only way to tell you have HIV is be tested for the virus. You cannot rely on symptoms to tell if you or someone you know is infected. The symptoms of HIV are similar to many other illnesses and many people have no symptoms at all. The symptoms of AIDS are also similar to other diseases. If a person is infected with HIV, the only way to tell if they have progressed to AIDS is to be diagnosed by a doctor using the CDC defined criteria.

All natural H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infections in domestic cats reported to date appear to have been associated with outbreaks in domestic or wild birds and acquired through ingestion of raw meat likely infected with the H5N1 HPAI virus. Fortunately, there is no evidence to date that domestic cats play a role in the natural transmission cycle of H5N1 HPAI viruses.

There is not enough information available about H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infection in dogs to know how infection would develop. Domestic cats in Europe appear to have become infected by eating infected poultry or wild birds. Details concerning a case of H5N1 infection in a dog in October 2004 were recently published; the dog was infected after it ate the carcass of an infected duck. View the report on the CDC Web site.

You will need to install a good antivirus package such as AVG or update the definitions of your existing software and run a full scan. Also, you might want to visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. just to make sure that your computer is fully updated with the latest security patches.

No, the level of HIV infection caused by injecting drug use is relatively low in the UK. By the end of June 2007, around 5% of all HIV infections reported since HIV first emerged in the UK had occurred as a result of injecting drug use, compared to 86% that resulted from sex.7 A lot of early media coverage of AIDS in the UK focused on injecting drug users (IDUs).

Ans. HIV is transmitted mostly through semen and vaginal fluids during unprotected sex without the use of condoms. Globally, most cases of sexual transnmission involve men and women, although, in some developed countries homosexual activity remains the primary mode.

One cannot tell by looking at someone whether he or she is infected with HIV or has AIDS. An infected person can appear completely healthy. It is only through blood test that the HIV status is confirmed.

The virus that causes molluscum is spread from person to person by touching the affected skin. The virus may also be spread by touching a surface with the virus on it, such as a towel, clothing, or toys. Once someone has the virus, the bumps can spread to other parts of their body by touching or scratching a bump and then touching another part of the body. Molluscum can be spread from one person to another by sexual contact.

The principle route of human infection with West Nile virus is through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which may circulate the virus in their blood for a few days. The virus eventually finds its way into the mosquito's salivary glands. During subsequent blood meals, the virus may be injected into humans and animals, where it can multiply and possibly cause illness.

The 'HIV test' is a test to detect antibodies developed to HIV. It is a marker for HIV infection, but is not a test to detect actual virus. After acute infection, antibodies would not be present, thus the test would be negative. Only after the window period has passed would antibodies be present, and the test show positive. The duration for the 'window period' varies from person to person.

This is a great question and of course the answer is No. TBW is really about relationship in general; the concepts and tools we offer apply to any relationship in your life, including your relationship with yourself. We believe that the same dynamics that happen between partners in heterosexual relationships also happen between partners in gay & lesbian relationships.