I.

INTRODUCTION
What is HIV?
-HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. If left
untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome).Unlike some other viruses, the
human body cant get rid of HIV completely. So once you have
HIV, you have it for life. HIV attacks the bodys immune system,
specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system
fight off infections. If left untreated, HIV reduces the number of
CD4 cells (T cells) in the body, making the person more likely to
get infections or infection-related cancers. Over time, HIV can
destroy so many of these cells that the body cant fight off
infections and disease. These opportunistic infections or cancers
take advantage of a very weak immune system and signal that
the person has AIDS, the last state of HIV infection.
II. TYPES OF HIV
-There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. Both types are
transmitted by sexual contact, through blood, and from mother to
child, and they appear to cause clinically indistinguishable AIDS.
However, it seems that HIV-2 is less easily transmitted, and the
period between initial infection and illness is longer in the case of
HIV-2.
HIV-1- The predominant virus and generally when people
refer to HIV without specifying the type of virus they will be
referring to HIV-1. The strains of HIV-1 can be classified into
three groups: the "major" group M, the "outlier" group O
and the "new" group N. These three groups may represent
three separate introductions of simian immunodeficiency
virus into humans.
-Group O appears to be restricted to west-central Africa.
- Group N discovered in 1998 in Cameroon - is extremely
rare.

-Group M more than 90% of HIV-1 infections are belong in

this group.
HIV-2- A less prevalent and less pathogenic (disease-causing)
type. The relatively uncommon HIV-2 type is concentrated in
West Africa and is rarely found elsewhere.
III. SYMPTOMS

- Most people who are infected with HIV experience a short,

flu-like illness that occurs 2-6 weeks after infection. After
this HIV often causes no symptoms for several years.
The flu-like illness that often occurs a few weeks after HIV
infection is also known as seroconversion illness. It's
estimated that up to 80% of people who are infected with
HIV experience this illness.
The most common symptoms are:
fever (raised temperature)
sore throat
body rash
Other symptoms can include:
tiredness
joint pain
muscle pain
swollen glands (nodes)
The symptoms usually last one to two weeks but can be
longer. They are a sign that your immune system is putting
up a fight against the virus. After the initial symptoms
disappear, HIV will often not cause any further symptoms for
many years. During this time, known as asymptomatic HIV
infection, the virus continues to be active and causes
progressive damage to your immune system. This process
can take about 10 years, during which you will feel and
appear well.
Once the immune system becomes severely damaged
symptoms can include:
weight loss
chronic diarrhea

night sweats
skin problems
recurrent infections
serious life-threatening illnesses

IV. MODES OF TRANSMISSION

-HIV enters the body through open cuts, sores, or breaks in
the skin; through mucous membranes, such as those inside the
anus or vagina; or through direct injection. There are several ways
by which this can happen:
- Sexual contact with an infected person.
- Sharing needles, syringes, or other injection equipment
with someone who is infected.
- Mother-to-child transmission. Babies born to HIV-positive
women can be infected with the virus before or during birth,
or through breastfeeding after birth.
- Transmission in health care settings. Healthcare
professionals have been infected with HIV in the workplace,
usually after being stuck with needles or sharp objects
containing HIV-infected blood.
- Transmission via donated blood or blood clotting factors.
However, this is now very rare in countries where blood is
screened for HIV antibodies, including in the United States.
V. PREVENTION
- No effective cure for HIV currently exists, but with
proper treatment and medical care, HIV can be controlled.
The medicine used to treat HIV is called antiretroviral
therapy or ART. If taken the right way, every day. This
medicine can dramatically prolong the lives of many people
with HIV, keep them healthy, and greatly lower their chance
of transmitting the virus to others. Today, a person who is
diagnosed with HIV, treated before the disease is far
advanced, and stays on treatment can live a nearly as long
as someone who does not have HIV.

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

get tested. Testing is relatively simple. You can ask your
health care provider for an HIV test. Many medical clinics,
substance abuse programs, community health centers, and
hospitals offer them too. You can also buy a home testing kit
at a pharmacy or online.
VI. TRENDS
- An estimated 38.6 million (33.4 million-46.0 million)
people worldwide were living with HIV at the end of 2005.
An estimated 4.1 million (3.4 million-6.2 million) became
newly infected with HIV and an estimated 2.8 million (2.4
million-3.3 million) lost their lives to AIDS. Overall, the HIV
incidence rate (the proportion of people who have become
infected with HIV) is believed to have peaked in the late
1990s and to have stabilized subsequently,
notwithstanding increasing incidence in several countries.
Favorable trends in incidence in several countries are
related to changes in behavior and prevention programs.
Changes in incidence along with in rising AIDS mortality
have caused global HIV prevalence (the proportion of
people living with HIV) to level off. However, the numbers
of people living with HIV have continued to rise, due to
population growth and more recently, the life-prolonging
effects of antiretroviral therapy. In sub-Saharan Africa, the
region with the largest burden of the AIDS epidemic, data
also indicate that the HIV incidence rate has peaked in
most countries. However, the epidemics in this region are
highly diverse and especially severe in southern Africa,
where some of the epidemics are still expanding.

HIV
(Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
Charlene P. Bulawan
BSED- Third year
Mrs. Hernandez