HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It damages your immune system by destroying a type of white blood cell that helps your body fight infection. This puts you at risk of serious infections and certain types of cancer. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is the final stage of HIV infection. It occurs when the body's immune system is severely damaged by the virus. Not all people with HIV develop AIDS.

HIV can be spread in different ways:

· Through unprotected sex with a person with HIV. This is the most common form of transmission

· Sharing needles for drug use

· Through contact with the blood of a person with HIV

· From mother to baby during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding

We can all contribute in biomedical research progress. If you wish you can donate the left over material after diagnosis obtained during the treatment process (blood samples, biological liquids and tissue) for carrying out biomedical research without causing you any additional inconvenience. There is a network of biobanks managing human biological samples for biomedical research.