What is HIV and AIDS? - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Explained

Summary

This video provides an in-depth overview of HIV and AIDS, exploring their symptoms, causes, and treatments. It explains how HIV attacks the immune system, leading to AIDS if untreated, and highlights the importance of antiretroviral therapies in managing the disease. The video also covers transmission methods, early and advanced symptoms, associated cancers, and preventive measures such as barrier protection and safe injection practices. Viewers will learn about the importance of early diagnosis, available treatment options, and how to reduce the risk of HIV transmission, enhancing understanding of this critical health issue.

Takeaways

• 🦠 HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which attacks CD4 cells, weakening the immune system.
• ⚠️ Without treatment, HIV can progress to AIDS, which is diagnosed when CD4 counts fall below 200 cells/mm³ or when opportunistic infections occur.
• 💊 Antiretroviral treatments have significantly reduced the progression of HIV to AIDS.
• 📊 In 2018, more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. were living with HIV, with around 6,000 AIDS-related deaths.
• 🛡️ HIV transmission mainly occurs through unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse, sharing drug injection equipment, or, rarely, from mother to child during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• 🤒 Early HIV symptoms may resemble the flu, including fever, chills, swollen glands, and joint pain, but some people may not show symptoms for years.
• 🔬 HIV can be detected as early as 10 to 21 days after exposure using different types of tests, such as nucleic acid amplification or antigen/antibody tests.
• ⛔ While there is no cure for HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) can stop the progression and reduce the risk of transmission.
• 🧪 Several classes of antiretroviral drugs are used, including protease inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, and reverse transcriptase inhibitors, which work by preventing HIV replication.
• 👩‍⚕️ Prevention strategies include using barrier protection, practicing safe injection, and taking post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) within 72 hours of possible exposure.

Q & A

What does HIV stand for and what does it do to the human body?

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It attacks immune cells called CD4 cells, which are types of T cells that detect infections throughout the body. HIV uses these cells to create more copies of itself, destroying them in the process and reducing the body's ability to combat other infections and diseases.

What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?

AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and is an advanced stage of HIV infection. Doctors identify AIDS when a person has a CD4 count of fewer than 200 cells per cubic millimeter or if they experience characteristic opportunistic infections or associated types of cancer.

How does HIV transmission typically occur?

One of the main causes of HIV transmission is unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse without using barrier protection or without taking pre-exposure prophylaxis. Another main cause is sharing equipment for injecting drugs. Less commonly, HIV can transmit to babies during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, or through blood transfusions, although the risk is extremely low with effective screening.

What are some early symptoms of HIV?

Early symptoms of HIV may include fever, chills, sweating particularly at night, enlarged glands or swollen lymph nodes, weakness, pain including joint pain, a sore throat, thrush or a yeast infection, and unintentional weight loss.

Can a person with HIV be asymptomatic?

Yes, some people with HIV have no symptoms for months or even years after contracting the virus. However, the virus continues to develop and damage the immune system and organs even when a person feels well and appears healthy.

What are some opportunistic infections that can signal a person has AIDS?

Opportunistic infections that can signal a person has AIDS include candidiasis of the bronchi, trachea, esophagus, and lungs, coccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, cytomegalovirus disease (CMV), herpes, histoplasmosis, tuberculosis with mycobacteria, recurrent pneumonia, recurrent salmonella septicemia, toxoplasmosis, and some others.

What types of cancer are associated with HIV infection?

A person with HIV may have a higher risk of various types of cancer including lymphoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, and herpesvirus. Additionally, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma have strong links to HIV infection, and females with HIV should receive regular checks for cervical cancer.

How can HIV be diagnosed?

HIV can be diagnosed through various tests including the nucleic acid amplification test (NAT), which can detect HIV infection as early as 10 days after exposure, and antigen or antibody blood tests that can detect HIV in a blood sample as early as 18 days after exposure. Most rapid tests and self-tests are antibody tests and can detect HIV antibodies as early as 21 days after exposure.

What are the treatment options for HIV?

Treatment for HIV involves taking antiretroviral medications which fight the infection and slow the spread of the virus. People generally take a combination of medications called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) or combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). There are various types of antiretrovirals, including protease inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, chemokine receptor antagonists, and entry inhibitors.

How can HIV transmission be prevented?

HIV transmission can be prevented by using barrier protection during intercourse, practicing safe injection techniques, avoiding exposure to relevant body fluids, and taking post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if potentially exposed to the virus within the last 72 hours.