- HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus), a disease that weakens the immune system, making sufferers vulnerable to dangerous, potentially life-threatening infections. HIV is contracted through direct contact with the body fluids of an infected individual, which occurs via unprotected sex and the use of shared needles among drug users. Individuals with HIV may not show any symptoms for years, and not all of them will develop AIDS.
- Most people with HIV will not show any obvious symptoms, and will only learn of their HIV-positive status through blood testing. Occasionally, however, an individual who has been infected with the virus will develop flu-like symptoms, such as fever and chills, swollen lymph nodes and rashes. Although most people with HIV are asymptomatic, they are still carriers of the virus, and can infect others.
- The HIV virus progressively destroys the immune system's T-cells, the cells that are responsible for fighting off infections. It does this by using these T-cell's genetic material to replicate the cells, and in the process creates mutations that damage the cells and reduce the body's ability to ward off illness. Most (but not all) individuals who contract HIV will ultimately develop AIDS as this process progresses. HIV (or AIDS itself) does not cause illness. Rather, it reduces the body's ability to fight off infections, large and small. Opportunistic diseases that commonly affect people with AIDS include Kaposi's sarcoma (skin cancer), pneumonia, herpes zoster, lymphoma and meningitis.
- There is no cure for HIV or AIDS. The goal of treating patients with HIV is to keep the level of the virus low and prevent it from developing into AIDS. The most effective treatments for HIV are anti-retroviral drugs. These drugs interfere with the HIV virus in various ways to keep it from replicating or to minimize its effects. Most patients take more than one type of antiviral medication. This is known as combination therapy, and minimizes the chances that the virus will grow resistant to a medication. Medication for HIV must be taken every day for the rest of the patient's life.
