What do the medical abbreviations HIV and AIDS mean?

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is a virus that attacks your immune system (body's natural defense system) which are your white blood cells, specifically, CD4+ cells. The virus & the infections that it causes are consider HIV.

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is consider the final stage where you have a low number of CD4+ cells. At this stage you can easily get infections or cancers then a healthy person would. Just because you have HIV does not mean you have AIDS.