# data[].attributes.body
HIV is typically transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, or breast milk.

Common transmission routes include unprotected sex, sharing needles, blood transfusions (rare), and mother-to-child during birth or breastfeeding.

# data[].attributes.body
2023 Data:

Prevalence:

As of 2024, an estimated 39 million people worldwide are living with HIV.

New Infections:

In 2023, approximately 1.3 million people were newly infected globally.

Deaths:

HIV-related illnesses caused roughly 630,000 deaths in 2023.

Geographical Distribution:

Sub-Saharan Africa bears the highest burden, accounting for two-thirds of all global cases

# data[].attributes.body
Caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Two types:

HIV-1 - most common worldwide

HIV-2 - less common, more prevalent in West Africa

# data[].attributes.body
HIV primarily targets CD4+ T helper cells, which are essential for activating the immune response.

The virus uses gp120 on its envelope to bind to the CD4 receptor and a co-receptor (CCR5 or CXCR4) on host cells.

Once attached, HIV fuses with the cell membrane and injects its RNA into the cell.

# data[].attributes.body
Inside the cell, HIV uses reverse transcriptase to convert its RNA into DNA.

The viral DNA is integrated into the host's DNA by integrase.

The host cell then produces new viral particles, which bud off and infect more CD4 cells.

# data[].attributes.body
As more CD4 cells are destroyed, the immune system becomes less able to respond to infections.

The body tries to replace the lost CD4 cells, but over time, it can’t keep up.

# data[].attributes.body
Without treatment, the number of CD4 cells falls below, the patient develops opportunistic infections or certain cancers.

This stage is defined as AIDS.

At this point, the immune system is severely compromised, and even minor infections can be life-threatening.

# data[].attributes.headline
STAGE 1: ACUTE INFECTION (2-4 WEEKS AFTER EXPOSURE)

# data[].attributes.subject
STAGE 1: ACUTE INFECTION (2-4 WEEKS AFTER EXPOSURE)

# data[].attributes.body
Flu-like symptoms that may last a few days to weeks:

Fever

Sore throat

Swollen lymph nodes

Rash

Muscle aches

Headache

Fatigue

High viral load (very contagious)

Often misdiagnosed as a cold or flu

# data[].attributes.body
The virus is still active but reproduces at low levels

May last 5–10 years or more without treatment

Often no symptoms, but the virus is still damaging the immune system

Some may experience:

Swollen lymph nodes

Mild infections (oral thrush, shingles)

Weight loss or fatigue

CD4 count begins to drop gradually

# data[].attributes.headline
STAGE 3: AIDS (ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME)

# data[].attributes.subject
STAGE 3: AIDS (ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME)

# data[].attributes.body
CD4 count < 200 cells/mm³ or presence of AIDS-defining illnesses

Immune system is severely weakened

Symptoms and conditions include:

Opportunistic infections:

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP)

Tuberculosis (TB)

Toxoplasmosis

Candidiasis (thrush)

Cancers:

Kaposi’s sarcoma

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Cervical cancer

Neurological problems:

HIV-associated dementia

Confusion, memory loss

Wasting syndrome:

Severe weight loss

Muscle wasting

Chronic diarrhea and fatigue

Prolonged fever and night sweats

# data[].attributes.body
HIV is a retrovirus (from the Lentivirus genus), meaning it utilizes RNA as its specified genetic material and requires reverse transcriptase to make DNA from RNA.

Attacks the body's immune system by distinctly targeting CD4+ T cells.

As the virus replicates, the immune system will weaken, leaving the body in a vulnerable, compromised state, more to susceptible to infection and illness.

Structure:

Spherical & enveloped

Has glycoproteins on its surface to attach and enter the host cell

Immune evasion:

Hides in latent reservoirs

Destroys/impairs the same immune cells meant to fight it

# data[].attributes.body
Prevalence:

Over 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV.

Undiagnosed Rate:

About 13% of those infected are unaware of their status.

Incidence:

In 2022, there were about 32,000 new HIV diagnoses.

Demographics:

Highest risk groups: Black/African American and Latino communities, men who have sex with men (MSM), and people aged 25–34.

Regional hot spots: The Southern U.S. has the highest rates of new infections.

# data[].attributes.body
Texas has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the U.S., especially in cities like Houston and Dallas.

Prevalence & Incidence:

In 2022, Texas had over 90,000 people living with HIV, with nearly 4,000 new cases that year.

Distribution:

High HIV demographics include: Majorly Hispanic (30% in women, 41% in men) and Black (48% in women, 31% in men) ethic groups, with 60% of infected individuals being under the age of 35.

# data[].attributes.body
Global Epidemiology:

World Health Organization. (n.d.). HIV. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/hiv-aids

National Epidemiology:

U.S. statistics. HIV.gov. (2025, February 21). https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/data-and-trends/statistics

Local Epidemiology:

1. An Overview of HIV in Texas. (n.d.). https://www.dshs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/hivstd/info/edmat/OverviewofHIVinTexas.pdf

2. Oppong, J. R. (2012, January 31). Geographic distribution of HIV/AIDS in Texas. UNT Digital Library. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc71783/m1/13/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Global situation and trends:

Since the beginning of the epidemic, 84.2 million [64.0-113.0 million] people have been infected with the HIV virus and about 40.1 million [33.6-48.6 million] people have died of HIV.

Globally, 38.4 million [33.9-43.8 million] people were living with HIV at the end of 2021. An estimated 0.7% [0.6-0.8%] of adults aged 15-49 years worldwide are living with HIV, although the burden of the epidemic continues to vary considerably between countries and regions.

The WHO African Region remains most severely affected, with nearly 1 in every 25 adults (3.4%) living with HIV and accounting for more than two-thirds of the people living with HIV worldwide.

More HIV data products

Overview, symptoms and treatment

Related data and statistics

Contact us

Please send us your comment or question by e-mail.

If you have any feedback, you are welcome to write it here.

If you need to access the old Global Health Observatory data, you can do it here. But before you leave, please provide us your feedback about our new data portal.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Global situation and trends : Since the beginning of the epidemic, 84.2 million [64.0-113.0 million] people have been infected with the HIV virus and about 40.1 million [33.6-48.6 million] people have died of HIV. Globally, 38.4 million [33.9-43.8 million] people were living with HIV at the end of 2021.

# data[].attributes.body
Morgan, Kendall K. “HIV Symptoms.” WebMD, 11 July 2024, www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/understanding-aids-hiv-symptoms.

Wilen, C. B., et al. “HIV: Cell Binding and Entry.” Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, vol. 2, no. 8, Apr. 2012, p. a006866. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a006866.

“The Stages of HIV.” WebMD, 21 May 2023, www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/stages-hiv.

# data[].attributes.body
3 types of HIV test

·      Antibody test

·      Antigen/antibody

·      Nucleic Acid test

The antibody test is a test they do to detect the antibodies that are being produce by the body from the response of the HIV. This test can use blood or saliva, it is the most rapid test which you could do this test at home. With this test it can show a positive test until 3 to 12 weeks after being exposed.

The antigen/antibody is a test that detects both that are being produce from the virus. This test is using blood and it takes 2 to 6  weeks after being expose to HIV to show as a positive result.

The Nucleic Acid test is a test that detects the actual HIV. This test looks for the virus in the blood. This is also what they recommend to test first.

# data[].attributes.body
·      Blood test

·      Oral fluid test

·      Urine test

·      Home test kit

# data[].attributes.body
HIV/AIDS - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiv-aids/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373531

Preventing HIV. (2024, September 26). HIV. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/prevention/index.html

# data[].attributes.body
For HIV/AIDS there is no cure for it, once you have it your body can’t get rid of it. With that being said there is some medication that can control the HIV and help with not having complications.

Even though HIV cannot be cure there is a way to help it that is called antiretroviral therapy medicine. It really doesn’t matter how far they are to the disease or the complications they already having they really recommend doing so so I could take a bit more control of HIV and prevent the complications.

For the medication, each class of medicines block the virus in different ways some of the treatment will involve mixing the medicine from different classes.

The classes that are used for the medication of anti-HIV include

·      Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase  inhibitors

This right here turns off a protein that HIV needs so it makes more copies

·      Nucleotide or nucleotide reverse transcript taste inhibitors

These would be the faulty version of making copies

·      Protease inhibitors

It makes protease inactive, which HIV need this protein to make copies of itself

·      Integrase inhibitors

It stops the action of the protein integrase

·      Entry or fusion inhibitors

This blocks the entry of HIV into CD4 T cell

It’s good to start and stay on treatment just so it wont get out of control

# data[].attributes.body
To prevent HIV/AIDS, there are some strategies that you can do so you won’t get infected with HIV/AIDS

·      Practice having safe sex

Make sure if having sexual intercourse use condoms, limit sexual partners, open communication with the person

·      Avoid sharing needles

·      Could take HIV/AIDS prevention medication

These medications would be PrEP or PEP

·      If you have HIV prevent transmitting it to other people

https://youtu.be/f6umofGzPpc

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

# data[].attributes.body
https://play.kahoot.it/v2/?quizId=7115d780-999a-431c-8bc0-3a84ad4d2a92&hostId=fefe4cba-40d4-4cea-9ba9-58f55e03248d

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Host a game of kahoot – put on your game show host hat and make learning awesome.