HIV/AIDS
COMPILATION
What is HIV?
The HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body
fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by
contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during sex with a
condom or sex without a condom. HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome). The human body can’t get rid of HIV, and no effective HIV cure
exists. So, once you have HIV, you have it for life.
In addition, there are effective methods to prevent getting HIV through sex or drug use,
including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The human
immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that
infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition
in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic
infections and cancers to thrive. The average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated
to be 9 to 11 years.
In most cases, HIV is a sexually transmitted infection and occurs by contact with or
transfer of blood, pre-ejaculate, semen, and vaginal fluids. Non-sexual transmission can occur
from an infected mother to her infant during pregnancy, during childbirth by exposure to her
blood or vaginal fluid, and through breast milk.
Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within
infected vital immune cells in the human immune system, such as helper T cells (specifically
CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T
cells through a number of mechanisms, including pyroptosis of abortively infected T cells,
apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, direct viral killing of infected cells, and killing of
infected CD4+ T cells by CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When
CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body
becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections, leading to the development
of AIDS.
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Damage Caused by HIV/AIDS Infection
The different types of damage that HIV infection can cause include:
• Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP)
This fungal infection can cause severe illness and remains the most common
cause of pneumonia in people infected with HIV.
• Candidiasis (Thrush)
Candidiasis is a common HIV-related infection that causes inflammation and a thick,
white coating on the mouth, tongue, esophagus, or vagina.
• Tuberculosis (TB)
TB is a common opportunistic infection associated with HIV. Worldwide, TB is a
leading cause of death among people with AIDS.
• Cytomegalovirus
This common herpes virus is transmitted through body fluids such as saliva,
blood, urine, semen, and breast milk. A healthy immune system typically inactivates the
virus, allowing it to remain dormant in the body. However, if the immune system
weakens, the virus can resurface and cause damage to the eyes, digestive tract, lungs, or
other organs.
• Cryptococcal Meningitis
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain
and spinal cord (the meninges). Cryptococcal meningitis, caused by a fungus found in
soil, is a common central nervous system infection associated with HIV.
• Toxoplasmosis
This potentially deadly infection is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite
primarily spread by cats. Infected cats pass the parasite in their stools, which can then
spread to other animals and humans. Toxoplasmosis can lead to heart disease, and
seizures may occur if it spreads to the brain.
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Symptoms of HIV Infection
The symptoms of HIV and AIDS vary depending on the phase of infection.
Primary Infection (Acute HIV)
Some people infected by HIV develop a flu-like illness within 2 to 4 weeks. Most people
experience a short flu-like illness 2 to 6 weeks after the virus enters the body, lasting for a week
or two. After these initial symptoms disappear, HIV may not cause noticeable symptoms for
many years, though the virus continues to damage the immune system. This often means that
many people with HIV are unaware they are infected, putting them at particularly high risk.
Possible signs and symptoms of acute HIV infection include:
• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches and joint pain
• Rash
• Sore throat and painful mouth sores
• Swollen lymph glands, mainly in the neck
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Cough
• Night sweats
• Persistent, unexplained fatigue
• Oral yeast infection (thrush)
• Shingles (herpes zoster)
• Pneumonia
• Sweats
• Chills
• Persistent white spots or unusual lesions on the tongue or in the mouth
• Weakness
These symptoms can be mild and may go unnoticed. However, the viral load (amount of
virus in the bloodstream) is high during this period, making the infection highly transmissible.
Clinical Latent Infection (Chronic HIV)
In this stage, HIV is still present in the body and in white blood cells. However, many
people may not experience any symptoms or infections during this time. This stage can last for
many years, though some individuals may progress to more severe disease much sooner.
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How is Life Living with HIV?
If you're living with HIV, taking effective HIV treatment and being undetectable
significantly reduces your risk of passing HIV on to others.
You'll also be encouraged to:
• Take regular exercise
• Eat a healthy diet
• Stop smoking
• Stop having sex
There is no cure for HIV and AIDS, as it is an incurable disease. The immune system
becomes severely damaged over time, and life-threatening illnesses such as cancer and severe
infections can occur.
What Are the Causes of HIV Infections?
HIV is caused by a virus. To become infected with HIV, infected blood, semen, or vaginal
secretions must enter your body. This can happen in several ways.
HIV can be transmitted by coming into direct contact with:
• Having sex
• Drug use
• The body fluids of an infected person, including:
• Semen
• Vaginal and anal fluids
• Blood
• Pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum)
• Transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding
• Kissing
• Touching
• Sharing anything with an HIV-positive person
The risk of transmission will depend on various factors, such as whether you are receiving or
giving oral sex, and the condition of the person giving oral sex.
The most common way of getting HIV is through anal or vaginal sex. HIV cannot be
transmitted through sweat, urine, or saliva. It is a fragile virus that does not survive outside the
body for long. HIV in these fluids must enter the bloodstream of an HIV-negative person through
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a mucous membrane (found in the rectum, vagina, mouth, or tip of the penis), open cuts or
mouth sores, or by direct injection.
The virus can also enter your body through small tears that sometimes develop in the rectum
or vagina during sexual activity. Drug paraphernalia puts you at high risk of HIV and other
infectious diseases, such as hepatitis. HIV can also be transmitted through blood transfusions,
especially in lower-middle-income and low-income countries, where the risk is higher.
How Can You Prevent the Spread of HIV?
There is no vaccine to prevent HIV infection, and no cure for HIV/AIDS. However, you
can protect yourself and others from infection.
To help prevent the spread of HIV, consider the following actions:
• Stop having sex
• Avoid touching individuals who are contaminated
• Do not share personal items with HIV-positive individuals
• Avoid hugging individuals with HIV
• Avoid contact with people who have AIDS in any form
• Stay away from people who are HIV-positive
• Do not share food or drinks with others
• Choose to stop risky sexual behaviors.
You can reduce your risk by committing to a monogamous relationship with one partner for
life. The more sexual partners you have, the more likely you are to contract HIV (or other STDs).
Having an STD can increase your risk of acquiring HIV or spreading it to others, especially for
people who are at risk of getting HIV but do not already have it. To further reduce the risk of
getting HIV through sex or drug use, avoid sharing drug equipment or needles with others.
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