As of December 2015, 36.7 million people all over the world were living with HIV

Photo Credits: Antony Njuguna/Reuters, Jon Rawlinson/Flickr

Name
HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome)

Transmission

• HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system and weakens the body’s defense against infections and some types of cancer
• It spreads from person to person through bodily fluids such as:
  • Blood
  • Semen
  • Pre-seminal fluid
  • Rectal fluids
  • Vaginal fluids
  • Breast milk
• The most common ways it spreads are:
  • Sexual contact (anal or vaginal)
  • Sharing needles
  • During pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding (from mother to child)
• Rarely, it can spread through:
  • Oral sex
  • Blood transfusions
  • Organ/tissue transplants
  • Being bitten by a person with HIV (extensive tissue damage must occur)
  • Open-mouth kissing if both partners have sores or bleeding gums (HIV does not spread through saliva)
• HIV does not survive long outside the human body or on surfaces
• Without treatment, HIV becomes the disease known as AIDS

Geography
Worldwide (sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region)

Incubation Period
2 – 6 weeks after infection

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of HIV vary depending on the stage of infection:

Stage 1: Acute infection (highly infectious stage, can last a few days – several weeks)

• Fever
• Muscle pain
• Chills
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fatigue
• Rash
• Mouth ulcers
• Night sweats
• Sore throat

Stage 2: HIV latency/chronic infection (can last from 2 years – 20+ years)

• Many people don’t have symptoms, or only have mild symptoms

Stage 3: AIDS (defined by the presence of “opportunistic” infections which take advantage of the weak immune system)

• Pneumonia
• Rapid weight loss
• Sores of the mouth, anus, or genitals
• Recurring fever
• Depression
• Skin rashes
• Extreme fatigue
• Sores/lesions on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids
• Long-lasting diarrhea
• Profuse night sweats
• Prolonged lymph gland swelling
• Memory loss
• Other neurological disorders
• Respiratory infections

The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested

Diagnosis

• Laboratory testing of blood samples
• During stage 1, the infection may not show up on an HIV test

Treatment

• There is no cure for HIV. Once you are infected, you have it for the rest of your life
• But daily medications called antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), help prolong the life of an infected person and reduce their chance of infecting others
  • These medications control the replication of the virus in the body so that the immune system can strengthen and regain the ability to fight off infections

Prognosis

• Without treatment, HIV can make a person very sick and lead to death
• With medical care, the progression of HIV can be controlled
• Without treatment, people with AIDS typically survive about 3 years
• HIV/AIDS increases the chance of opportunistic infections and diseases such as:
  • Pneumonia
  • Tuberculosis
  • Hepatitis C
  • The flu
  • Cancer
  • Thrush/fungal infection
• Opportunistic infections are the most common cause of death for people with HIV/AIDS

Prevention: What Can You Do?

• Use male or female condoms when having sex
• Limit your number of sex partners
• Don’t inject drugs or share needles
• Medical male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by ~ 60%
• If you think you’ve been exposed, you can get post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medication which can prevent HIV if started within 72 hours of the infection
• If your partner has HIV and you do not, use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) which are daily ARV medications that block HIV infection

HIV/AIDS In the News

• WHO issues new guidance on HIV self-testing ahead of World AIDS Day
• US disburses $3.4b to support Nigeria in eradicating HIV/AIDS virus

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/
http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/ntd/diseases/trachoma_burden.html