Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. By damaging one's immune system, HIV interferes with the body's ability to fight infection and disease.
HIV is a sexually transmitted infection, but it can also be spread by contact with infected blood or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. Without medication, it may take years before HIV weakens one's immune system to the point that one has AIDS.
There is no cure for HIV/AIDS, but medications can dramatically slow the progression of the disease. These drugs have reduced AIDS deaths in many developed nations.
HIV is a retrovirus that infects cells of the immune system. The virus multiplies and spreads throughout the body, destroying cells that are crucial to fighting disease. The disease progresses in stages. The initial stage is called acute HIV infection. The first few weeks after a person is infected, some people may experience flu-like symptoms. During this stage, a large amount of virus is produced in the body. The next stage is called clinical latency. During this stage, the virus reproduces at very low levels and a person may not have any symptoms. The final stage is AIDS. It is the most severe stage of HIV infection. People with AIDS have severely damaged immune systems and can get an increasing number of severe illnesses.
A person is diagnosed with AIDS when their CD4 T cell count drops below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood. A normal CD4 count is between 500 and 1,600. People with AIDS are prone to developing opportunistic infections, cancers and other severe illnesses. These illnesses can be life-threatening.
The only way to know if a person has HIV is to get tested. Many people with HIV have no symptoms for years. Anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to the virus should get tested. People at high risk include those who have had unprotected sex with multiple partners, or have shared needles for injecting drugs.
If you are diagnosed with HIV, you should see a doctor right away to start treatment. The medications used to treat HIV are called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART is a combination of different drugs that work to stop the virus from multiplying. Taking ART as prescribed can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood to very low levels. This is called viral suppression. Viral suppression can help people with HIV live a long and healthy life and prevent transmission of the virus to others.
Preventing HIV infection is crucial. People can protect themselves and others from HIV by using condoms during sex, not sharing needles, and getting tested regularly.
