Glossary

Acquired Immune Deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). A person may not notice any symptoms or may experience a brief period of influenza-like illness. Typically, this is followed by a prolonged period with no symptoms. AIDS is characterized by increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections, such as pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and candidiasis, to certain cancers, as Kaposi's sarcoma, and to neurological disorders. AIDS is not the same thing as HIV, which is the virus which causes AIDS. The words are not interchangeable.

A label that you’re given at birth based on medical factors, including your hormones, chromosomes, and genitals. Most people are assigned male or female, and this is what’s put on their birth certificates Instead of saying “biological sex,” some people use the phrase “assigned male at birth” or “assigned female at birth.” This acknowledges that someone (often a doctor) is making a decision for someone else. The assignment of a biological sex may or may not align with what’s going on with a person’s body, how they feel, or how they identify.