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What is HIV?

HIV stands for: Human Immunodeficiency Virus

HIV is a virus. Viruses cannot grow or reproduce on their own, they need to infect the cells of a living organism in order to replicate (make new copies of themselves). The human immune system usually finds and kills viruses fairly quickly, but HIV attacks the immune system itself – the very thing that would normally get rid of a virus.

With around 2.7 million people becoming infected with HIV in 2007, there are now an estimated 33 million people around the world who are living with HIV, includ

ing millions who have developed AIDS.

What is the connection between HIV and AIDS?

HIV causes AIDS by damaging the immune system cells until the immun

e system can no longer fight off other infections that it would usually be able to prevent.

It takes around ten years on average for someone with HIV to develop AIDS. However, this average is based on a person having a reasonable diet, and someone who is malno

urished may well progress from HIV to AIDS more rapidly.

How is HIV treated?

Antiretroviral drugs keep the levels of HIV in the body at a low level, so that the immune system is able to recover and work effectively. Antiretroviral drugs enable many HIV positive people to live long and healthy lives.

Starting antiretroviral treatment involves commitment – drugs have to be taken every day, and for the rest of a person’s life. Adhering to treatment is important, particularly because not doing so increases the risk ofdrug resistant.Side effets can make adherence difficult, and are sometimes very severe. There are ways of reducing the impact of these side effects, but sometimes it is necessary to change to an alternative treatment regime.

There are more than 20 in the US and Europe, as well as many new drugs currently undergoing trials. Although treatment for HIV has become more widely available in recent years,access to antiretroviral treatment is limited in some parts of the world due to a lack of funding.

The facts about how HIV is passed on

HIV is found in the blood and the sexual fluids of an infected person, and in the breast milk of an infected woman. HIV transmission occurs when a sufficient quan

tity of these fluids get into someone else's bloodstream.

There are various ways a person can become infected with HIV

:

• Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person: Sexual intercoursecondom carries the risk of HIV infection. without a
• Contact with an infected person's blood: If sufficient blood from somebody who has HIV enters someone else's body then it can pass on the virus.
• Use of infected blood products: Many people in the past have been infected with HIV by the use of blood transfusions and blood products which were contaminated with the virus. In much of the world this is no longer a significant risk, as blood donations are routinely tested for HIV.
• Injecting drugs: HIV can be passed on when injecting equipment that has been used by an infected person is then used by someone else. In many parts of the world, often because it is illegal to possess them, injecting equipment or works are shared.
• From mother to child: HIV can be transmitted from an infected woman to her baby during pregnancy, delivery.
  

Does HIV have symptoms?

Some people experience a flu-like illness, develop a rash, or get swollen glands for a brief period soon after they become infected with HIV. However, these are also common symptoms of other less serious illnesses, and do not necessarily mean that a person has HIV.

Often people who are infected with HIV don’t have any symptoms at all. It is important to remember that a person who has HIV can pass on the virus immediately after becoming infected, even if they feel healthy. It’s not possible to tell just by looking if someone has been infected with HIV.

The only way to know for certain if someone is infected with HIV is for them to be tested.

Testing for HIV

It is important for a person to get tested if they think they may have been at risk of HIV infection.

There are various types of HIV test, but the most commonly used - the antibody or ELISA test - detects HIV antibodies in a person’s blood. It is necessary to wait at least 3 months after the last possible exposure before having an HIV antibody test, to be certain of an accurate result.

The prospect of receiving a positive test result (meaning that a person is infected with HIV) may be daunting, but learning that you are HIV +ve is the first step to getting support and staying healthy. HIV testing is also very important for stopping the spread of HIV, as somebody who is aware of their HIV status can take steps to ensure they do not pass on the virus.

How can HIV be prevented?

Despite considerable investment and research, there is currently no vaccine for HIV, and microbicides (designed to prevent HIV being passed on during sex) are still undergoing trials. However, there are other ways that people can protect themselves from HIV infection, which are the basis of prevention effots aroud the world.

Education about HIV and how it is spread is an essential part of HIV prevention. HIV education needs to be culturally appropriate and can take place in various settings, for example lessons at school, media campaigns, or peer education.

HIV is only half the story…

What happens when HIV develops into AIDS? Why are approximately 2 million people dying from AIDS each year? What are the effects of the global AIDS epidemic?

Learn about AIDS and get the full story.

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