- What is HIV?
- Reducing the Risk of HIV
- Questions for Your Healthcare Team
- Tips to Work with Your Healthcare Team
What is HIV?
[ Testing for HIV ] [ How HIV Affects Your Immune System ] [ Symptoms of HIV Infection ][ Understanding AIDS ] [ Sources ]
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There's a lot of information about HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and all of the issues surrounding it, but the most basic, key piece of HIV information is that HIV is a virus that attacks and weakens the human immune system.
HIV is passed from an infected person to another through:
- Unprotected sexual activity involving semen, vaginal fluid or blood with someone who has HIV (this includes anal, vaginal and oral sex)
- Sharing needles with someone who has HIV (includes needle-sharing for drug or steroid use, tattooing, piercing, etc.)
- Pregnancy, childbirth and breast-feeding
- Blood transfusions (although rare in countries with careful screening)
Wrong information about HIV has created confusion and myths about the risks of getting infected:
- HIV is NOT transmitted (passed) by hugging, shaking hands, getting a bug bite, sitting on toilet seats, eating in restaurants, swimming in pools or sharing a home with someone who has HIV
- HIV is NOT transmitted through saliva (spit); there is a very small risk of HIV infection throughopen-mouthed kissing only if blood is present in the saliva and/or serious mouth infections (gum disease with bleeding gums, sores, etc.) are present
- HIV targets the human immune system by infecting cells like the CD4 cell so HIV IS found in bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk where the CD4 cell (T cell) is present; activities involving these fluids puts you at risk for becoming infected
A person can be infected with HIV for many years before having any symptoms. In fact, according to information from the US Centers for Disease Control, 1 out of 3 people infected with HIV in the US don't know they are infected. It is important to know that while symptoms may take years to develop, an HIV test can determine infection within 3 to 6 months of a risky behavior.
HIV is able to mutate (change) in ways that make treating HIV a challenge, but combinations of anti-HIV medicines can control the virus and protect the immune system. HIV treatment cannot prevent the virus from being passed from one person to another. There is no vaccine or cure for HIV infection.
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An HIV antibody test can check for HIV infection 3 to 6 months after an unsafe behavior (such as unprotected sex or sharing used needles) has put you at risk. Contact your local health clinic or AIDS Service Organization (ASO) , or call the National AIDS Hotline for more information about where you can be tested.
National AIDS Hotline
1-800-342-2437 (in English)
1-800-344-7432 (in Spanish)
1-800-243-7889 (TTY for the deaf and hearing impaired)
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How HIV Affects Your Immune System
Your immune system is made up of many different parts (for example, skin, white blood cells and antibodies) working together to fight off infectious agents and organisms and to help keep you healthy.
CD4 cells are one type of white blood cell (immune cell) in this complex system. CD4 cells are found in blood, semen/vaginal secretions, lymph nodes and other places in the body. The CD4 cell, one of several kinds of immune cells, tells other cells what to do when the body is infected. This part of the immune system response is most affected by HIV.
Once HIV infects your body, it uses the genetic information in your CD4 cells to make copies of itself. Instead of being a working part of your immune system, the infected CD4 cell can no longer do its job of helping your body fight infections. The CD4 cell becomes a kind of "HIV factory" because, once infected, it is programmed by HIV to make copies of the virus. As the amount of HIV increases in your blood, the number of CD4 cells drops and your immune system becomes weaker. Your body then has less protection against illness and infections.
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Information about when someone can know they have HIV has sometimes been a source of confusion. Testing for HIV can determine a positive HIV status as soon as three months after infection from a risk behavior. Signs and symptoms of HIV disease may take years to develop after infection. Someone can have HIV and not experience any symptoms for many years, but still pass the virus to others through unprotected sex, sharing needles or other unsafe practices.
Some people experience a sudden and sometimes severe illness within weeks after exposure to HIV. This illness may be mild and may be mistaken for the flu or mononucleosis ("mono"). While the symptoms of this illness will go away without treatment, HIV infection will not. There is no cure for HIV infection. If you experience symptoms of a flu-like illness after a possible exposure to HIV or behavior that you feel may have put you at risk of HIV infection, please share this information with a healthcare provider as soon as possible.
Over time, HIV weakens the immune system—the body's defenses—and you may experience one or more of these specific symptoms that are signs of HIV infection:
- Extreme weakness or fatigue
- Rapid and significant weight loss (an average loss of 10% of total body weight in one month)
- Frequent fevers that last for weeks
- Heavy night sweats
- Swollen lymph glands
- Skin rashes or mouth, genital or anal sores
- White spots in the mouth or throat
- Diarrhea that won't go away
- Persistent cough
- Repeated vaginal yeast infections in women
When these symptoms continue for long periods of time (in general, at least a month), they may be HIV-related. But they can also be symptoms for other illnesses. The only way to know for certain whether or not you have HIV is to get an HIV antibody test. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or you think you might have been exposed to HIV, talk with a doctor and share this information right away.
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HIV information can be confusing when it comes to understanding the difference between HIV and AIDS. It's important to note that AIDS and HIV are not the same. A person can be HIV-positive and not have an AIDS-defining illness for many years. For others, it takes less time. How the disease affects individuals is different for everyone.
In the United States, AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a diagnosis made by a doctor when an HIV+ person:
- Has a CD4 cell count less than 200 (per cubic millimeter of blood),
or
- Has a specific infection, cancer or condition (opportunistic infection or disease) associated with HIV infection
Infections that would not usually cause serious illness can be devastating to someone living with HIV who has a weakened immune system. A diagnosis of AIDS means that an HIV+ person is especially vulnerable to illness. (For a complete list of AIDS-defining illnesses, please visit www.cdc.gov/hiv/dhap.htm .)
Of all of the HIV information you'll get, knowing your HIV status, getting regular care from a doctor experienced with HIV/AIDS and knowing your treatment options are critical. The sooner you know your health status and share this information with your healthcare provider, the more treatment options you may have available. Click here for a list of questions to ask your healthcare provider.
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The HIV information provided here is based on information found at the following Web sites:
The Body: An AIDS and HIV Information Resource
AEGIS: AIDS Education Global Information System
National Prevention Information Network (CDC)
This information does not include everything you may need to know about HIV and does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider.
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