The Chhattisgarh Nodal Officer of AIDS Control Programme, Dr S.K. Binjhwar, on Monday said AIDS is one of the biggest health problems in the present age and creating awareness against it was the only way to prevent its spread.
Dr Binjhwar stated that HIV or human immunodeficiency virus was a virus that attacks the body's immune system; if not treated, it could lead to AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Learning the basics about HIV can keep you healthy and prevent HIV transmission, he said.
All the medical colleges, district hospitals and community health centers across the state have the facility of testing and treating the disease, he said.
HIV infection is caused by exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus, which is transmitted via blood or through sexual intercourse.
It can also spread by sharing needles from blood transfusions, during pregnancy or delivery or through breastfeeding, he said.
When AIDS occurs, the immune system is severely damaged. One will likely to develop diseases that wouldn't usually cause illness in a person with a healthy immune system. These are called opportunistic infections or opportunistic cancers.
The symptoms of some of these infections may include sweat, chills, recurring fever, chronic diarrhea, swollen lymph glands, persistent white spots or unusual lesions on tongue or in mouth, persistent unexplained fatigue, weakness, weight loss and skin rashes.