Which statement best describes the relationship between AIDS and HIV?

• A. AIDS and HIV are the same thing.
• B. AIDS is the late stage of HIV.
• C. HIV is a vaccine for AIDS.
• D. AIDS is a virus unrelated to HIV.

Answer: (B)

HIV is the virus that attacks the body's immune system, and AIDS is the advanced stage of HIV infection when the immune system is severely weakened. When HIV damage accumulates and the CD4 cells drop or when certain opportunistic illnesses occur, the condition is classified as AIDS. This explains why the statement that AIDS is the late stage of HIV is the best description: it correctly distinguishes HIV as the virus and AIDS as the progression to a severely compromised immune system. It's not a vaccine for AIDS, and AIDS is not a separate, unrelated virus. With effective treatment, people can live long with HIV without progressing to AIDS, but without treatment the progression to AIDS is the typical course.