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HIV/AIDS 101 Transcript
[CDC Guy] Hi there.
[Announcer] CDC Presents: Health Matters.
[CDC Guy] Well, it seems I have your attention.
[Frank] Where did you come from?
[CDC Guy] I’ll explain later. I see you’re interested in finding out about HIV/AIDS. Well, I’m here to help.
[Frank] Great, ‘cause I have a lot of questions.
[CDC Guy] And I have a lot of answers. OK? Here we go.
[Frank] OK, so just how widespread is HIV/AIDS?
[CDC Guy] HIV/AIDS is a global problem with more than 34 million cases reported worldwide in 2010.
[Frank] That’s huge.
[CDC Guy] Yes. And, in the US alone, over one million Americans are infected with HIV and more than 20 percent of those don’t know it.
[Frank] What kind of an infection is HIV, exactly?
[CDC Guy] HIV – the Human Immunodeficiency Virus – is a virus that kills the human body’s cells that help fight off infection and disease. There’s no cure, but with proper medical care, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives.
[Frank] What about AIDS?
[CDC Guy] HIV causes AIDS – or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. HIV infection destroys the body’s immune system and when it fails, a patient can develop AIDS, become very sick, and die. More than 16,000 Americans with AIDS die each year. The virus can be transmitted to anyone. In the US, men who have sex with men account for more than half of all new HIV infections each year. But, others are also at risk, especially African Americans.
[Frank] It appears that many diverse people are at risk. So, how do you get infected?