HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Some people think that HIV and AIDS are the same thing; they are NOT.
There are two types of HIV that are recognized by the medical community: HIV-1 and HIV-2, along with nine differing variations of HIV-1. HIV-1 is the more common of the two strains in all areas of the world exceptWest Africa .
When a person is first infected with the virus, large amounts of HIV circulate in the system. The virus infects specific cells of the body that have a certain protein called CD4. One type of cell is called the T helper cells, which is a very important part of the immune system. The human immunodeficiency virus is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which is a term that describes the process by which it infects a target cell. The virus attaches to a cell, infects the cell with its genetic material, and then the infected cell makes new HIV that will go and infect other cells.
After a person is infected with HIV the T helper cells in the immune system decline. Fortunately the body’s immune system is able to suppress the virus for many years; however, the virus slowly defeats the immune system and starts to destroy the cells it has infected. By destroying these cells, the body becomes very vulnerable to other infections and diseases. This is considered to be the beginning stages of AIDS. It is unclear why some people take longer to develop AIDS than others as well as the difference of susceptibility to infection with AIDS.
There are two types of HIV that are recognized by the medical community: HIV-1 and HIV-2, along with nine differing variations of HIV-1. HIV-1 is the more common of the two strains in all areas of the world except
When a person is first infected with the virus, large amounts of HIV circulate in the system. The virus infects specific cells of the body that have a certain protein called CD4. One type of cell is called the T helper cells, which is a very important part of the immune system. The human immunodeficiency virus is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which is a term that describes the process by which it infects a target cell. The virus attaches to a cell, infects the cell with its genetic material, and then the infected cell makes new HIV that will go and infect other cells.
After a person is infected with HIV the T helper cells in the immune system decline. Fortunately the body’s immune system is able to suppress the virus for many years; however, the virus slowly defeats the immune system and starts to destroy the cells it has infected. By destroying these cells, the body becomes very vulnerable to other infections and diseases. This is considered to be the beginning stages of AIDS. It is unclear why some people take longer to develop AIDS than others as well as the difference of susceptibility to infection with AIDS.
Most people with HIV do not have any symptoms and would not now that they are infected unless they were tested for HIV specifically. Depending on the study, about 30 to 50 percent of people with new infections of HIV will develop symptoms that last for one to two weeks. The symptoms can vary greatly from one person to the next. Depending on how a person’s body reacts to the virus will determine what symptoms, if any, show up. Some symptoms of HIV are mild to moderate flu-like symptoms: headache, fever, chills, night sweats, sore throat, body aches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, back pain, or a general rash; just to name a few. These symptoms can often be confused with symptoms of other viral infections as well.
Seroconversion, a process in which the body develops antibodies to HIV, occurs during this time. It is also at this point that an infected person will have large amounts of HIV in their system. Since the symptoms of HIV can be so vague most people do not bother to seek medical care and remain undiagnosed for extended periods until they get tested.
Since HIV attacks a specific immune system cell, CD4 cells, when those levels drop below 200 an HIV-positive person is considered to have AIDS. A person is also said to have AIDS when he or she develops a combination of clinical conditions that their immune system would normally be able to fend off. A healthy person’s CD4 count is typically greater than 500 cells and as this number declines the body is more and more vulnerable to infections. For this reason a person who is HIV-positive or diagnosed with AIDS monitors his or her CD4 count closely. The CD4 count determines what types of infections a person is vulnerable to at any given time. There are currently several studies looking into the benefits of starting treatment before the CD4 levels fall below 350.
Seroconversion, a process in which the body develops antibodies to HIV, occurs during this time. It is also at this point that an infected person will have large amounts of HIV in their system. Since the symptoms of HIV can be so vague most people do not bother to seek medical care and remain undiagnosed for extended periods until they get tested.
Since HIV attacks a specific immune system cell, CD4 cells, when those levels drop below 200 an HIV-positive person is considered to have AIDS. A person is also said to have AIDS when he or she develops a combination of clinical conditions that their immune system would normally be able to fend off. A healthy person’s CD4 count is typically greater than 500 cells and as this number declines the body is more and more vulnerable to infections. For this reason a person who is HIV-positive or diagnosed with AIDS monitors his or her CD4 count closely. The CD4 count determines what types of infections a person is vulnerable to at any given time. There are currently several studies looking into the benefits of starting treatment before the CD4 levels fall below 350.
There are three ways in which HIV is transmitted: sexual transmission, exchange of blood or other bodily fluid, and exchange of fluids from mother to child.
Sexual transmission can be oral, anal, or genital sexual contact. The risk of transmission for any given sexual exposure depends on the type of contact and how infectious the partner is. An HIV infected person is most infectious when he or she are newly infected, possibly even before they test positive with the antibody test, and when they have AIDS. At these times the largest amounts of HIV are circulating. It is very important to understand that it is possible to transmit the virus through sexual contact at any stage of the illness. The more infectious a person is the greater the risk of transmission. Testing for HIV is the only way to know if a person is or is not infected with the virus.
People who have genital ulcers through herpes are more vulnerable to becoming infected with HIV, because breaks in the skin make transmission of HIV that much easier. HIV infection is not the only sexually transmitted infection, and having other STDs may increase the chance of spreading and acquiring HIV infection. A person who is at risk of acquiring STDs is also putting himself or herself at risk of acquiring HIV.
HIV can also be transmitted through blood and other bodily fluids in a number of different ways such as:
1) through a transfusion with infected blood organ or infected blood product
2) through a stick with a needle that has infected blood on it
3) through a splash of infected body fluids onto a mucous membrane or a break in the skin
4) through exchanging needles or other works for injection dug use
The risk of receiving HIV from a blood transfusion since 1985 is between 1 in 450,000 and 1 in 6,660,000. A person who is stuck with a needle containing blood from an infected person runs about a 0.3 percent risk of becoming infected with HIV. Other than the widely controversial case of the dentist who infected five of his patients with HIV in the 1980s, there is no evidence of transmission from infected health care workers to their patients.
HIV can also be transmitted from mother to child through the placenta, exposure to vaginal fluids at birth, or through breastfeeding. If a child is at risk for HIV infection, testing should be performed routinely until the child reaches one year of age. There was a study done in 1994 showed that infected mothers with a CD4 count greater than 200 and took zidovudine during their pregnancies and were given the drug intravenously during delivery, and if the newborn was given the drug after birth, then the risk of transmission fell to about 8 percent from 25 percent.
Sexual transmission can be oral, anal, or genital sexual contact. The risk of transmission for any given sexual exposure depends on the type of contact and how infectious the partner is. An HIV infected person is most infectious when he or she are newly infected, possibly even before they test positive with the antibody test, and when they have AIDS. At these times the largest amounts of HIV are circulating. It is very important to understand that it is possible to transmit the virus through sexual contact at any stage of the illness. The more infectious a person is the greater the risk of transmission. Testing for HIV is the only way to know if a person is or is not infected with the virus.
People who have genital ulcers through herpes are more vulnerable to becoming infected with HIV, because breaks in the skin make transmission of HIV that much easier. HIV infection is not the only sexually transmitted infection, and having other STDs may increase the chance of spreading and acquiring HIV infection. A person who is at risk of acquiring STDs is also putting himself or herself at risk of acquiring HIV.
HIV can also be transmitted through blood and other bodily fluids in a number of different ways such as:
1) through a transfusion with infected blood organ or infected blood product
2) through a stick with a needle that has infected blood on it
3) through a splash of infected body fluids onto a mucous membrane or a break in the skin
4) through exchanging needles or other works for injection dug use
The risk of receiving HIV from a blood transfusion since 1985 is between 1 in 450,000 and 1 in 6,660,000. A person who is stuck with a needle containing blood from an infected person runs about a 0.3 percent risk of becoming infected with HIV. Other than the widely controversial case of the dentist who infected five of his patients with HIV in the 1980s, there is no evidence of transmission from infected health care workers to their patients.
HIV can also be transmitted from mother to child through the placenta, exposure to vaginal fluids at birth, or through breastfeeding. If a child is at risk for HIV infection, testing should be performed routinely until the child reaches one year of age. There was a study done in 1994 showed that infected mothers with a CD4 count greater than 200 and took zidovudine during their pregnancies and were given the drug intravenously during delivery, and if the newborn was given the drug after birth, then the risk of transmission fell to about 8 percent from 25 percent.
It is a good idea for people entering into new sexual relationships to be tested for HIV and other STDs before becoming sexually active. If it has been at least six months since their last sexual contact and/or exposure to any other risk factors, they test negative and are monogamous they can reasonably assume they are negative for HIV.
One of the more important issues to consider before getting tested for HIV is confidentiality. Even if you test negative for HIV, insurance companies may label you as high risk just because you were tested. This “high risk” label could affect your insurance coverage and/or premiums down the road. For this reason many people have elected not to get tested for HIV.
There are three main tests to test for HIV infection or to monitor the progress of infection:
1) Antibody Tests
2) DNA and RNA Testing
3) Immune System Testing
Antibody tests are performed in most clinical situations. This test is called enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This is a very sensitive test and is considered to be conclusive after 90 days post a potential exposure. Any positive test result from an ELISA antibody test has to be confirmed by a Western Blot test, which at least two antibodies to proteins p24, gp41, and/or gp120/160 must be present. It is possible to get an inconclusive or indeterminate result which means either the person may be newly infected but has not seroconverted or the person is not infected. In either case repeat testing in a few months is required to determine a true positive or negative result.
DNA and RNA testing look for the genetic material of the virus in what are called qualitative and quantitative tests. The qualitative test looks for the presence of HIV. It does not tell how much of the virus is present. The HIV DNA by PCR test is a qualitative test and can be performed in as little as three days after a potential exposure, but is not considered to be a conclusive result until after 28 days. The quantitative test or viral load tests look for the genetic material of HIV and amplify it to readable quantities. This test is usually only performed to determine the level of HIV in the blood for patients who have already tested positive for HIV. This test is performed to try and monitor the course of infection and is used to determine when medication should start to be taken or changed.
Another useful test that is used to follow the course of illness tests for CD4, CD8, and CD4/CD8 ratio. HIV attacks and destroys CD4 cells or T-helper cell count. The amount of CD4 cells circulating in the blood at any give point is a reference point for which physicians can monitor the progress of the infection and determine which therapies are effective and which ones are not. It is important to note that any of these tests are not used to determine if a person is infected with HIV.
One of the more important issues to consider before getting tested for HIV is confidentiality. Even if you test negative for HIV, insurance companies may label you as high risk just because you were tested. This “high risk” label could affect your insurance coverage and/or premiums down the road. For this reason many people have elected not to get tested for HIV.
There are three main tests to test for HIV infection or to monitor the progress of infection:
1) Antibody Tests
2) DNA and RNA Testing
3) Immune System Testing
Antibody tests are performed in most clinical situations. This test is called enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This is a very sensitive test and is considered to be conclusive after 90 days post a potential exposure. Any positive test result from an ELISA antibody test has to be confirmed by a Western Blot test, which at least two antibodies to proteins p24, gp41, and/or gp120/160 must be present. It is possible to get an inconclusive or indeterminate result which means either the person may be newly infected but has not seroconverted or the person is not infected. In either case repeat testing in a few months is required to determine a true positive or negative result.
DNA and RNA testing look for the genetic material of the virus in what are called qualitative and quantitative tests. The qualitative test looks for the presence of HIV. It does not tell how much of the virus is present. The HIV DNA by PCR test is a qualitative test and can be performed in as little as three days after a potential exposure, but is not considered to be a conclusive result until after 28 days. The quantitative test or viral load tests look for the genetic material of HIV and amplify it to readable quantities. This test is usually only performed to determine the level of HIV in the blood for patients who have already tested positive for HIV. This test is performed to try and monitor the course of infection and is used to determine when medication should start to be taken or changed.
Another useful test that is used to follow the course of illness tests for CD4, CD8, and CD4/CD8 ratio. HIV attacks and destroys CD4 cells or T-helper cell count. The amount of CD4 cells circulating in the blood at any give point is a reference point for which physicians can monitor the progress of the infection and determine which therapies are effective and which ones are not. It is important to note that any of these tests are not used to determine if a person is infected with HIV.
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