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. 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.
WHAT DAMAGE THE INFECTION CAN CAUSE
The different damage the HIV infection can cause are called:
• Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP).
This fungal infection can cause severe illness.
PCP is still the most common cause of pneumonia in people infected with HIV.
• Candidiasis (thrush).
Candidiasis is a common HIV-related infection. It causes inflammation and a thick,
white coating on your 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 in body fluids such as saliva, blood, urine,
semen, and breast milk. A healthy immune system inactivates the virus, and it
remains dormant in your body.
If your immune system weakens, the virus resurfaces and can cause damage to
your eyes, digestive tract, lungs, or other organs.
• Cryptococcal meningitis.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding your brain
and spinal cord (meninges).
Cryptococcal meningitis is a common central nervous system infection associated
with HIV, caused by a fungus found in soil.
• Toxoplasmosis.
This potentially deadly infection is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite spread
primarily by cats.
Infected cats pass the parasites in their stools, which may then spread to other
animals and humans. Toxoplasmosis can cause heart disease, and seizures occur
when it spreads to the brain.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HIV INFECTIONS
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 HIV
infection, after the virus enters the body, which lasts for a week or two. After these
symptoms disappear, HIV may not cause any symptoms for many years, although the virus
continues to damage your immune system.
This means many people with HIV do not know they're infected, as they are at particularly
high risk. This illness, known as primary (acute) HIV infection, has possible signs and
symptoms, including:
• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches and joint pain
• Rash
• Sore throat and painful mouth sores
• Swollen lymph glands, mainly on the neck
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Cough
• Night sweats
• Persistent, unexplained fatigue
• Swollen lymph glands
• Oral yeast infection (thrush)
• Shingles (herpes zoster)
• Pneumonia
• Progression to AIDS
• Sweats
• Chills
• Persistent white spots or unusual lesions on your tongue or in your mouth
• Weakness
• Weight loss
These symptoms can be so mild that you might not even notice them. However, the
amount of virus in your bloodstream is quite high at this time. As a result, the infection
spreads more easily during primary infection than during the next stage.
Clinical Latent Infection (Chronic HIV) In this stage of infection, HIV is still present in the
body and in white blood cells. However, many people may not have any symptoms or
infections during this time. This stage can last for many years. Some people develop more
severe disease much sooner.
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 remedy for HIV and AIDS because it is an incurable disease. The immune
system will become severely damaged, 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. It can be transmitted by
coming into direct contact with:
• Having sex
• Drug use
• The body fluids of an infected person
• Semen
• Vaginal and anal fluids
• Blood
• Transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding
• Semen (cum) and pre-seminal fluid
• Kissing
• Touching
• Sharing anything with an HIV-positive person
It depends on many factors, such as whether you receive or give oral sex and the oral
health of the person giving the oral sex. The most common way of getting HIV is through
anal or vaginal sex.
HIV can be transmitted through sweat, urine, or saliva. It is a fragile virus and does not
survive outside the body for long. The HIV in these fluids must get into the bloodstream of
an HIV-negative person through 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. Sharing drug paraphernalia puts you at high risk of
HIV and other infectious diseases, such as hepatitis. Blood transfusions also pose a risk.
The risk is higher in upper-middle-income and low-income countries.
HOW CAN YOU PREVENT THE SPREADING 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:
• Stop having sex
• Avoid touching contaminated people
• Do not share personal items with HIV-positive individuals
• Avoid hugging
• Refrain from being in contact with those who have AIDS in any form
• Maintain distance from HIV-contaminated individuals
• Do not share food or drinks
Choose to stop risky sexual behaviors. By getting married to only one partner for life, you
can reduce the risk. Limiting the number of sexual partners and choosing only one person
to marry can help prevent HIV. The more partners you have, the more likely you are to
contract HIV (STD).
Having an STD can increase your risk of getting HIV or spreading it to others. People who do
not have HIV but are at risk should take precautions. Reduce the risk of getting HIV through
sex or drug use, and do not share drug equipment with others.
