What is AIDS?

AIDS is when your body can't fight off sicknesses because a special germ has made your defence system weak.

Imagine your body is like a castle, and your defence system is the guards who keep out invaders. A germ called HIV is like a sneaky thief that gets inside the castle and starts making the guards sick or even take them away. Over time, there are so few guards left that the castle can't protect itself anymore.

Sometimes people get this germ from sharing a toothbrush, or by giving blood, or during birth if the mom has it too. It’s not like catching a cold, you need to be near someone who has HIV for a while.

Once the body is really weak, people with AIDS can get very sick from things that normally wouldn't hurt them, like a bad infection or even a little fever. But with medicine and care, many people live long and happy lives even with AIDS.