HIV Information

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a retrovirus, meaning it uses the enzyme reverse transcriptase to make DNA from its own genetic code, RNA, so that it can incorporate itself into host cells. In order to trigger an infection, HIV must cross the body's blood barrier in high enough concentration; and when it does, it leads to HIV disease. HIV has four stages, the last of which is AIDS; over time, the effect of HIV is to severely damage the human immune system.

Transmission and Prevention

• HIV is transmitted in developed countries through unprotected penetrative sex (vaginal, anal or oral), using shared hypodermic needles and from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth and breast-feeding.

  In countries where screening procedures are not in place, there is a higher risk of transmission from donated bodily fluids, tissues or organs. In the United States and other developed countries, this risk has more or less been eliminated.

  Health-care professionals may be exposed to HIV through a needle-stick injury from a needle used on an HIV-positive person.

  The correct and consistent use of barriers during sex and using clean, unshared needles for injections are important methods of preventing HIV transmission. An HIV-positive pregnant woman can take antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy or shortly before delivery to reduce the chances of transmitting the virus to her child. After birth, antiretoviral drugs are administered to infants, and HIV-positive women are advised not to breast-feed unless alternative feeding methods pose a serious health risk, according to Avert.org.

Acute HIV Infection

• Acute HIV infection occurs directly after infection with HIV. During this period, roughly two to four weeks after infection, some people develop a flulike illness. The symptoms of this stage of HIV include fever, headache, sore throat, swollen lymph glands, aches and pains, fatigue, digestive problems and skin rash, according to HIV-Symptoms.info. Some people do not develop symptoms at this time, while some people only develop very mild symptoms that go overlooked.

  Even if a recently infected person seeks out medical treatment for these symptoms at this time, a diagnosis of HIV will not be made based on these symptoms alone. This is because many viral infections cause the same or similar symptoms, and one or the of these other viral conditions is more likely to cause these symptoms.

Asymptomatic HIV

• Asymptomatic HIV is the second stage of HIV and follows directly after the symptoms of acute HIV infection clear up. This is the longest stage, lasting an average of 10 years, and there are no symptoms during this time. Because of the mild symptoms of acute HIV and the absence of symptoms in second-stage HIV, many people unknowingly expose others to the virus during this time.

Testing

• The only way to know one's HIV status before symptoms appear is through testing. HIV testing is simple, widely available, and is offered free at many locations. HIVTest.org provides more information about specific types of HIV tests and helps individuals locate testing centers; see Resources below.

  It is necessary to wait at least one month after possible exposure to HIV to be tested. This is because most HIV tests screen for the presence of antibodies to the virus, and it takes an average of one month to develop a detectable level of antibodies.

Symptomatic HIV and AIDS

• Symptomatic HIV appears after asymptomatic HIV; this third stage of HIV lasts for an average of three years. During this time, a chronic flulike disease develops with symptoms including night sweats, serious weight loss, fungal conditions, and skin and breathing problems.

  Fourth-stage HIV-disease (AIDS) is diagnosed in HIV-positive people when the CD4 cell count (a type of immune cell targeted by HIV) falls below 200 per cubic milliliter or when the count makes up fewer than 14 percent of all immune cells. At this point, the immune system loses the ability to fight off infection on its own, resulting in infections that do not cause the disease in people with healthy immune systems but can result in severe weight loss, some cancers and neurological problems.

Treatment

• Antiretroviral treatment for HIV is generally begun after the immune system has already become damaged, but before AIDS appears. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recommends initiation of treatment at a CD4 cell count of 350.

  Antiretroviral drugs are combined together in a multidrug treatment plan known as HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy), and target HIV at a number of different points in its cycle of invading and infecting host cells.