What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV is different from most other viruses because it attacks the immune system. It finds and destroys a type of white blood cell (T cells or CD4 cells) that the immune system must have to fight disease.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. It can take years for a person infected with HIV, even without treatment, to reach this stage. Having AIDS means that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point at which the body has a difficult time fighting infections. When someone has one or more of these infections and a low number of T cells (below 200), he or she has AIDS.

Does HIV always develop into AIDS?
Prior to 1996, scientists estimated that about half the people with HIV would develop AIDS within 10 years after becoming infected. Because of advances in drug therapies and other medical treatments since then, estimates of how many HIV positive people will develop AIDS and how soon are being recalculated, revised, or are currently under study.