HIV/AIDS

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV destroys white blood cells called CD4+ T-cells. These cells are critical to the normal function of the human immune system, which defends the body against illness.  If left untreated, HIV infection damages a person’s immune system and can progress to AIDS. HIV can be passed from person to person if someone with HIV infection has unprotected sex, or shares drug injection needles with another person. It also can be passed from a mother to her baby when she is pregnant, when she delivers the baby, or if she breast-feeds her baby.

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A person who tests positive for HIV can be diagnosed with AIDS when a laboratory test shows that his or her immune system is severely weakened by the virus or when he or she develops at least one of about 25 different opportunistic infections.

Most HIV-positive people are infected with the virus years before it damages their immune system to make them susceptible to AIDS-related diseases. Tests are available to measure the amount of HIV in the blood (the viral load). Persons with higher viral loads are more likely to develop AIDS-related diseases and experience a decline in their CD4+ T-cells. Antiretroviral therapy can slow the progression of HIV to AIDS by decreasing the amount of virus in a person's body. Early detection of HIV infection allows for more options for treatment and preventive health care.