What's the difference between HIV and AIDS?

I think it’s a before and after thing. You have HIV before, and AIDS after that. Wait maybe HIV causes AIDS. the V in HIV probably stands for Virus, and I think the IDS in AIDS is Immune Defficiency Syndrome. That means that HIV most likely causes AIDS.

That’s all a guess lol!

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV stands for the ‘Human Immunodeficiency Virus’ and AIDS stands for the ‘Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome’. AIDS is a serious condition in which the body’s defenses against some illnesses are broken down. This means that people with AIDS can get many different kinds of diseases which a healthy person’s body would normally fight off quite easily

As Tyrant says, HIV is the stage when the virus infects the body. AIDS is the fully bloomed out disease, so to speak. I think.

HIV= HUman Imunodefiency Virus
AIDS= Acquired Immune Defiency Syndrom

Pardon me for the spelling. HIV is the virus that destroys the white cells called T4. When T4 cells are down, we are vulnerable even to the most common sickness such as flu. Whenever one is in such a situation, he/she has acquired AIDS.

I don’t understand why it’s called two different things ultimately it kills you.

HIV causes AIDS..
But so to speak.. when you have contracted HIV, it doesn’t necessary mean you have AIDS. Yes, AIDS is caused by HIV. It’s just that AIDS already has the secondary symptoms plus complications that is fatal.
I’ve learned this from my Microbiology class..

AIDS = Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
HIV = Human Immunodeficiency Virus

A syndrome is a constellation of symptoms that appear together. Acquired means that the disease is not genetic or otherwise innate. Virus is a disease causing agent. HIV is a double-stranded RNA core surrounded by a protein shell. Immunodeficiency indicates that HIV and AIDS causes a breakdown in the human immune system.

HIV infects “command and control” cells of the immune system.
During the period you are HIV+, the body is engaged in fight with the virus. The virus is infecting as many T Lymphocytes it can and the body is trying to replace them. Treatment against HIV helps tilt the odds in the body’s favor, making it harder for the virus to replicate inside the cells and infect other cells. The treatment, however, cannot eliminate the virus from the body.

AIDS occurs when you have so few T Lymphocytes that you can no longer fight off other infections, such as TB, pneumonias, and so on. AIDS is defined when the person’s laboratory count of CD4 cells (T lymphocytes) is under 200.

It’s possible to go in and out of AIDS. If a person starts treatment and boosts CD4 count to above 200, then the person no longer clinically has AIDS, but remains HIV+

Death in AIDS is generally caused by one or more opportunistic infections that your body can no longer fight off.

There are a few genetic mutations that impacts progression from HIV seropositivity to AIDS. If you have a homozygous CCR5 mutation, you are immune to HIV. If you have a heterozygous CCR5 mutation, the progression takes a slower course. A CXCR1 mutation results in a much more rapid progression to AIDS