AIDS
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
A chronic condition, arises from infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which compromises the immune system's ability to combat infections and diseases. Left untreated, HIV can progress to AIDS over several years, though effective treatment has significantly reduced AIDS incidence in the United States.
HIV transmission occurs through genital contact during unprotected sex, sharing needles, or from untreated individuals to infants during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
While there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, medications can manage the infection and prevent disease progression. Antiviral therapies have notably decreased AIDS-related mortality globally, with ongoing efforts to enhance HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment accessibility, particularly in resource-limited regions.
Symptoms
Symptoms of HIV and AIDS vary depending on the individual and the infection stage:
- Primary infection (acute HIV) may manifest as flu-like symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks after viral exposure, including fever, headache, rash, sore throat, swollen lymph glands, diarrhea, weight loss, cough, and night sweats.
- Clinical latent infection (chronic HIV) may be asymptomatic for many years, while the virus persists in the body and immune cells.
- Symptomatic HIV infection may present as mild infections or chronic symptoms such as fever, fatigue, swollen lymph glands, diarrhea, weight loss, oral yeast infections, shingles, and pneumonia.
Improved antiviral treatments have significantly reduced AIDS-related deaths worldwide, resulting in a lower incidence of AIDS among HIV-positive individuals in the United States. However, without treatment, HIV typically progresses to AIDS within 8 to 10 years, indicating severe immune system impairment. AIDS predisposes individuals to opportunistic infections and cancers.
Transmission of HIV occurs through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast milk exposure. Casual contact poses no risk of transmission.
Risk factors for HIV/AIDS include unprotected
Sex concurrent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), intravenous drug use with needle sharing, and maternal-fetal HIV transmission.
Complications of HIV/AIDS include various infections and cancers, such as pneumonia, candidiasis, tuberculosis, cytomegalovirus, cryptococcal meningitis, lymphoma, Kaposi sarcoma, and HPV-related cancers, as well as wasting syndrome, neurological disorders, kidney disease, and liver disease.
Preventive measures against HIV infection include preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), treatment as prevention (TasP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), consistent condom use, clean needle practices, HIV disclosure to sexual partners, timely medical care, and male circumcision.