HIV/AIDS
Your Health Information
An overview of HIV/AIDS
Knowledge is the key to preventing this fast-spreading disease. AIDS is currently an incurable illness resulting from deterioration of the human immune system. It was first reported in the United States in 1981. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). AIDS weakens the body’s ability to fight off certain infections and illnesses. These opportunistic infections are usually controlled by a healthy person’s immune system. However, those with AIDS have immune systems that are weakened and may, therefore, require medical attention to prevent and treat these illnesses.
How do HIV and AIDS differ?
Someone who is “HIV positive” does not necessarily have AIDS. HIV is said to have advanced to AIDS when an infected person develops an AIDS-defining illness (one or more of the conditions currently recognized by the Centers for Disease Control), or certain results on their blood tests, even if they have not yet developed symptoms.
How quickly or slowly HIV progresses to AIDS varies from one person to another. As is the case with other diseases, early detection by a healthcare provider is key to fighting HIV/AIDS.
How common is HIV/AIDS?
According to estimates by WHO & UNAIDS, 33.2 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2007. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV/AIDS. Greater than 50,000 cases occur each year in the U.S.
How is the HIV virus spread?
HIV, the AIDS virus, passes from person to person through the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. Transmission occurs when these body fluids are exchanged during intimate sexual contact or while sharing infected hypodermic needles. An infected woman can also pass HIV to her unborn child. HIV can also be transmitted through a blood transfusion with contaminated blood or blood products. In theory, other objects that come into contact with blood, such as shared toothbrushes or razors, can pass along HIV to subsequent users. Currently, however, nothing indicates that transmission of the virus is possible through sneezing, a hug or handshake, or other casual contact.
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How do I know if I have HIV/AIDS?
Infection with HIV usually causes generalized symptoms or no symptoms at all. The only way to know for sure is to be tested. A doctor or healthcare provider can test for HIV by examining a sample of blood for antibodies.
Following detection, what diagnostic advances have been made in measuring the effectiveness of AIDS therapies?
Drug resistance has become a significant obstacle in the fight against AIDS, rendering treatments ineffective. Clinicians and researchers must constantly devise new combinations of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens as the virus mutates. Thus, research into HIV mutations may provide clinicians with new therapeutic tools.
What are Protease Inhibitors?
These antiviral drugs act by inhibiting the HIV virus' protease enzyme -- preventing viral replication. These drugs block the protease enzyme from breaking apart long strands of viral proteins to make the smaller, active HIV proteins. When the larger HIV proteins are unable to be broken apart, they cannot re-assemble themselves into new and functional HIV particles.
