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Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grade 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.43

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    full-blown, transition, epidemic, thereby, tested, term, pneumonia, diarrhea, direct, digestive, unborn, itself, lead, lymph, responsible, positive
     content words:    Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, When HIV, United States

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Human Immunodeficiency Virus
By Jennifer Kenny 		  
1     Have you ever heard the term HIV? Have you ever heard the term AIDS? Did you ever wonder how they were connected?
 
2     HIV refers to Human Immunodeficiency Virus. AIDS refers to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. In simplest terms, HIV causes AIDS. HIV is a virus. AIDS is a disease.
 
3     Do you remember what your immune system does? It is the system in your body that is responsible for protecting your body from and fighting off infection.
 
4     The virus known as HIV destroys part of the immune system. It affects T-cells which are white blood cells named T lymphocytes. These white blood cells fight germs and diseases.
 
5     If a person is considered positive for HIV, he has the virus in his body. When HIV goes into a human body, it jumps onto the T-cell and goes inside it. Then it takes over and makes copies of itself. The virus can then leave that T-cell and infect others. Once a T-cell has been invaded, it can no longer do its job, fighting off infections.

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