Emily Hall by Emily Hall

What is HIV?

emilybrookehall13 — 2025-04-18 03:04:21 UTC

HIV: (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. If left untreated, it can and will develop into AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), which is the late stage of untreated HIV.

(source: hiv.gov)

What causes HIV?

emilybrookehall13 — 2025-04-18 03:08:23 UTC

HIV is a virus caused by sharing bodily fluids with a person who has HIV, unprotected sex, or sharing of needles. If a person receives a blood transfusion and the donator has HIV, the receiver of the transfusion can be infected with HIV.

Symptoms of HIV

emilybrookehall13 — 2025-04-18 03:19:20 UTC

Symptoms of HIV:

HIV:

flu-like symptoms (including fever, chills, rash, night sweats, etc)
mouth ulcers
sudden, unexplained weight loss
painful sores in throat
oral thrush
dry mouth

(source: hiv.gov; webmd.com)

Effects of HIV/AIDS on Newborns

emilybrookehall13 — 2025-04-18 03:30:06 UTC

Infants who are born with HIV experience complications in the first two years of their life, including encephalopathy and infections.

HIV can be transmitted upon birth peritoneally or via breastfeeding. Infants who are infected with HIV often have no symptoms for the first 2 to 3 months. But early symptoms include oral thrush, lack of mobility, failure to thrive, and many others.

(source: medlineplus.gov)

What is AIDS?

emilybrookehall13 — 2025-04-18 03:36:05 UTC

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is the late stage of untreated HIV--considered stage 3. This is the disease that is caused by the HIV virus.

What causes AIDS?

emilybrookehall13 — 2025-04-18 03:40:22 UTC

AIDS is the disease develops when HIV goes untreated. It is the late/final stage of undiagnosed HIV that occurs when the body’s immune system is badly damaged because of the virus.

Symptoms of AIDS:

emilybrookehall13 — 2025-04-18 03:44:16 UTC

AIDS:

rapid weight loss
recurring fever
night sweats
extreme/unexplained fatigue
diarrhea lasting longer than a week
pneumonia
Red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids

HIV/AIDS statistics:

emilybrookehall13 — 2025-04-18 03:51:27 UTC

Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic,88.4 million [71.3–112.8 million] people have been infected with the HIV virus and about 42.3 million [35.7–51.1 million] people have died of HIV.
Globally, 39.9 million [36.1–44.6 million] people were living with HIV at the end of 2023. An estimated 0.6% [0.6-0.7%] of adults aged 15–49 years worldwide are living with HIV.

How is HIV/AIDS treated?

emilybrookehall13 — 2025-04-18 03:59:46 UTC

The treatment for HIV is a combination of HIV medicines called an HIV regimen. It generally includes three HIV medicines from at least two different HIV drug classes that must be taken exactly as prescribed. If taken as prescribed the regimen can keep your viral load to a low level, called viral suppresion.

The treatment for AIDS is continued from the same regimen, if HIV progresses to the point of AIDs. There is no cure for HIV or AIDS, but it can be managed quite well through Antiretroviral Therapy.

Long Term Effects of HIV/AIDS

emilybrookehall13 — 2025-04-18 04:46:37 UTC

Though life expectancy for someone with HIV/AIDs has improved since the 1990s, there are still long-term side effects that patients deal with. These include, but are not limited to: cognitive impairment, kidney disease, coronary artery disease, cancer, and reoccurring pneumonia.