HIV/AIDS BASICS

HIV INFECTION

People who know they are HIV infected are strongly encouraged to monitor their CD4-cell counts.  If a declining trend in CD4 -cell counts is apparent, or if CD4-cell counts fall below 350, persons with HIV should seek treatment to prolong the time before further decline.  There are a variety of treatment strategies available for persons with HIV.  Several anti-viral drugs that slow the reproduction of HIV are available through doctors of clinical (investigative) drug trials.

Many HIV-related diseases can be prevented through the use of available  medications.  The earlier treatment is begun, the better the potential for enhancing the quality and length of life.  There are government programs that can help people pay for these drugs, which can be very expensive.

TRANSMISSION

Certain sexual acts, drug-using habits and needle uses can put someone at risk of becoming infected with HIV.  A woman with HIV infection can  also pass the virus to her unborn or newborn baby.  Also, anyone who received blood transfusions, blood products or an organ transplant prior to 1985 may also have been infected with HIV.

Which body fluids can transmit HIV?	Which have never been shown to transmit HIV?
Blood	Saliva
Menstrual blood/period	Sweat
Semen/cum	Tears
Precum (Pre-ejaculatory fluid)	Urine
Vaginal secretions/fluids/juice	Feces
Breast milk

It is difficult for HIV to move from an infected person to an uninfected person.  Transmission can only occur if infected blood, menstrual  blood, semen, precum, vaginal secretions or breast milk enters a person's blood stream. 

HIV is not transmitted during casual contact such as hugging, holding hands, sharing living space, food or utensils.  HIV is a very fragile virus and cannot pass through unbroken skin.

HIV INFECTION AND AIDS

AIDS — Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome —  is the final stage of a serious health condition caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

HIV causes the body to lose its natural defenses against disease.  The body eventually becomes weak and open to attack by several types of infections and diseases that the body is unable to fight.  It is one or more of these diseases that leads a person to be diagnosed with AIDS and may eventually result in death.

There is no way to tell if a person is infected with HIV by looking at the person.  Many people currently infected with HIV don't know it.

HIV can be passed from one person to another during certain sexual practices, the sharing of needles while injecting drugs, or by a mother to  her baby.  Some people were infected by HIV through blood transfusions.  All US blood banks began screening donated blood for HIV in 1985 and today's blood supply is safe.

Children With HIV/AIDS
All children born to mothers with HIV have HIV antibodies because they are born with their mother's immune system.  Approximately 30 percent are actually infected with HIV.  The other 70 percent will usually shed their mother's antibodies before they are two years old.

HIV disease in infected children usually progresses much faster than HIV disease in adults.  Some children with HIV are born with symptoms and most will develop symptoms by age two.

HIV DISEASE PROGRESSION

Once infected with HIV, individuals can live for many years in an asymptomatic state —  showing no symptoms of infection.  After a period of time, though, the immune system can become compromised and clinical symptoms can develop.

While in the body, HIV slowly reproduces itself and is attracted to certain cells that play critical roles in the function of the immune system.  Although not the only cell attacked by the virus, CD4 cells (T-helpers) seem to be the primary target.  As a result of the destruction of  these cells, the functioning of the immune system becomes compromised.

The number of CD4 cells in the body is used to determine how well the immune system is functioning. Most healthy people have a CD4 cell level  between 800 and 1,200.  When the CD4 cell counts begin to fall below 200, many people with HIV develop opportunistic infections and certain cancers.  Some of these infections and cancers are not usually found  in people with fully functioning immune systems.  Others are more common, but are still more prevalent in people with HIV.  Common diseases associated with HIV include:

• Opportunistic Infections
  Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), toxoplasmosis, oral thrush, Mycobacterium avium complex, (MAC), vaginal candidiasis, pelvic inflammatory disease, genital  ulcers, CMV retinitis, tuberculosis;
   
• Cancers
  Cervical tumors, Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), lymphoma.