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How does the immune system respond to the presence of HIV in the body?
HIV attacks a specific type of immune system cell in the body. It’s known as the CD4 helper cell or T cell. When HIV destroys this cell, it becomes harder for the body to fight off other infections. When HIV is left untreated, even a minor infection such as a cold can be much more severe.
What are some the available treatment for individuals with AIDS due to HIV infection?
The most effective treatment for HIV is antiretroviral therapy (ART). This is a combination of several medicines that aims to control the amount of virus in your body. Antiretroviral medicines slow the rate at which the virus grows.
How many years without treatment does it take for a person with HIV to develop AIDS?
Even without treatment, it takes a long time for HIV to progress to AIDS—usually 10 to 12 years. When HIV is diagnosed before it becomes AIDS, medicines can slow or stop the damage to the immune system.
How can a person with HIV not develop AIDS?
In the U.S., most people with HIV do not develop AIDS because taking HIV medicine every day as prescribed stops the progression of the disease. A person with HIV is considered to have progressed to AIDS when:
How does treatment for HIV affect the body?
Treatment Reduces the Amount of HIV in the Blood The amount of HIV in the blood is called viral load. Taking your HIV medicine as prescribed will help keep your viral load low and your CD4 cell count high. HIV medicine can make the viral load very low (called viral suppression).
People in this symptom-free stage are still able to transmit HIV to others. The risk of transmission is greatly reduced by HIV treatment. In studies looking at the effects of HIV treatment on transmission, no new HIV infections have been linked to someone with very low or undetectable (suppressed) viral load.
What are the social issues associated with HIV and AIDS?
HIV and AIDS social issues. In many regions, social issues increase the risk of HIV infection making it difficult to tackle the global HIV epidemic effectively. Certain groups of people are more affected by HIV than others. Sometimes this is because they engage in high-risk behaviours, while others experience stigma and discrimination…