What Opportunistic Infections Do You Get With HIV?

People with HIV are more likely to develop certain types of infections because their immune systems are weakened. These are called "opportunistic infections." Some of the most common opportunistic infections in people with HIV include:

* Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP): PCP is a type of pneumonia that can cause severe difficulty breathing.

* Toxoplasmosis: Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite that can cause fever, headache, and confusion.

* Cryptococcosis: Cryptococcosis is an infection caused by a fungus that can cause fever, headache, and confusion.

* Candidiasis: Candidiasis is an infection caused by yeast that can cause oral thrush, vaginal yeast infections, or invasive candidiasis which affects internal organs.

* Kaposi's sarcoma: Kaposi's sarcoma is a type of cancer that can cause purple or red skin lesions.

* Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in the lymph nodes.

* Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML): PML is a rare but serious infection of the brain that is caused by a virus.

* Cytomegalovirus (CMV): CMV is a common virus that can cause disease in people with weakened immune systems. CMV can cause fever, fatigue, and a variety of other symptoms.

* Cryptosporidiosis: Cryptosporidiosis is an infection caused by a parasite that can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and weight loss.

* Microsporidiosis: Microsporidiosis is an infection caused by a parasite that can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss.

* Isosporiasis: Isosporiasis is an infection caused by a parasite that can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss.

These are just some of the opportunistic infections that people with HIV can get. It is important for people with HIV to take medications to prevent and treat these infections.