( CNN Student News ) -- World AIDS Day is observed around the globe on December 1 . Since the first World AIDS Day in 1988 , governments , organizations and charities have worked to raise awareness of the global AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection . Use the information in this One-Sheet to provide students with an overview about HIV and AIDS . How widespread is HIV/AIDS ? The UNAIDS/WHO 2007 AIDS Epidemic Update notes that since 1981 , when HIV/AIDS was first identified in the U.S. , more than 25 million people worldwide have died from AIDS-related illnesses . It estimates that today , nearly 33.2 million people throughout the world are living with HIV . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , that includes more than one million Americans . In 2007 , more than 6,800 people around the world were newly diagnosed with HIV each day , and of those new cases , approximately 1,150 were children under the age of 15 , according to the UNAIDS/WHO report . What is AIDS ? AIDS is the acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome . AIDS is a disease of the body 's immune system that is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV . Having HIV is different from having AIDS . A person can have HIV for many years before developing AIDS . However , as HIV progresses , it kills off the body 's CD4 cells ( also known as T-cells or T-helper cells ) , a type of white blood cell that helps fight infection . When the immune system loses too many T-cells , it does n't function normally and it ca n't fight off infections . As a result , people become vulnerable to many serious and often deadly infections and cancers . These types of illnesses are called `` opportunistic infections '' because they take advantage of the opportunity to attack the body 's compromised immune system , the CDC says . You may have heard that people die from AIDS , but this is n't technically the case . People with AIDS die from the opportunistic infections that AIDS allows to take hold , not from AIDS itself . How are HIV and AIDS diagnosed ? While some people who are infected with HIV experience chronic symptoms such as fever , diarrhea , weight loss , night sweats and swollen lymph nodes , others may not develop symptoms for many years , according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases . The only way to tell if someone has HIV is with a blood test . If a person becomes infected with HIV , his or her body will try to fight the infection by making antibodies . If a blood test shows the presence of these antibodies , then the person is diagnosed as having HIV , and is considered `` HIV positive . '' Likewise , you ca n't rely on symptoms to determine if someone has AIDS , because the symptoms of AIDS are similar to the symptoms of other diseases . In order to be diagnosed with AIDS , a person must be HIV positive and have a T-cell count below 200 ( a normal count ranges from 500 to 1,800 per cubic millimeter of blood ) , or have one or more opportunistic infections , according to the CDC . How is HIV transmitted ? HIV is found in blood , semen , vaginal fluid and breast milk . HIV can only be transmitted if one of these infected fluids enters the blood stream through contact with the mucous membranes , such as the mouth or vagina , or through direct contact , such as needle sticks or injections . According to the CDC , most people get HIV by : . What treatments are available ? In the early days of the AIDS pandemic , patients were unlikely to live longer than two years after developing the disease , according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services . By studying the way that HIV attacks immune cells , scientists have developed drugs to fight both HIV and its associated infections and cancers . Used in combinations known as `` cocktails , '' these drugs have helped patients live much longer after being diagnosed with HIV . However , while these drugs can slow down HIV and damage to the immune system , there is no way to get rid of HIV . Though researchers are now testing vaccines to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS , no vaccines have been approved for use outside of clinical trials , according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services . What can people do to prevent the spread of HIV ? While there is n't a vaccine to prevent HIV infection or a cure for AIDS , people can protect themselves and others from infection . Experts from the Mayo Clinic recommend that people learn about how HIV is transmitted and avoid any behavior that allows HIV-infected fluids to get into your body . If you are HIV positive , it is important to refrain from unprotected sex and other high-risk behaviors that could infect others , according to the Mayo Clinic . If you think you may have been exposed to HIV , experts recommend that you consult a doctor and get tested for the virus as soon as you are likely to develop HIV antibodies , which is within 6 weeks to 12 months after exposure , according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases . E-mail to a friend .
Use this information to provide students with an overview of HIV and AIDS .