What Is HIV / AIDS? Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Last updated: Thursday 4 June 2015

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AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a syndrome caused by a virus called HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The illness alters the immune system, making people much more vulnerable to infections and diseases. This susceptibility worsens as the syndrome progresses.

HIV is found in the body fluids of an infected person (semen and vaginal fluids, blood and breast milk). The virus is passed from one person to another through blood-to-blood and sexual contact. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy, delivering the baby during childbirth, and through breast feeding.

HIV can be transmitted in many ways, such as vaginal, oral sex, anal sex, blood transfusion, and contaminated hypodermic needles.

Both the virus and the syndrome are often referred to together as HIV/AIDS. People with HIV have what is called HIV infection. As a result, some will then develop AIDS. The development of numerous opportunistic infections in an AIDS patient can ultimately lead to death.

According to research, the origins of HIV date back to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century in west-central Africa. AIDS and its cause, HIV, were first identified and recognized in the early 1980s.

There is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS. Treatments can slow the course of the condition - some infected people can live a long and relatively healthy life.

Contents of this article:

You may also see introductions at the end of some sections to any recent developments that have been covered by MNT's news stories. Also look out for links to information about related conditions.

Fast facts on HIV and AIDS

Here are some key points about HIV and AIDS. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the first five known cases of HIV in Los Angeles in June of 1981.
There are more than 1.2 million people in the US aged 13 years or older living with HIV infection, and around 1 in 7 (14%) unaware of their infection.
HIV incidence has remained stable at around 50,000 new HIV infections per year.
Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men of all races and ethnicities remain the population most profoundly affected by HIV.
New HIV infections among women are mainly attributed to heterosexual contact or injection drug use.
African Americans experience the most severe burden of HIV, compared with other races and ethnicities.
An estimated 13,712 people with an AIDS diagnosis die per year in the US.
There is still no cure for HIV, and it can take a huge financial toll on those living with the condition.
The average cost of treating a person with HIV over the course of their lifetime is $379,668.
There are numerous tools to prevent HIV such as limiting sexual partners, never sharing needles and using condoms consistently and correctly.

What Is HIV/AIDS?

HIV is the virus which attacks the T-cells in the immune system.

AIDS is the syndrome which appears in advanced stages of HIV infection.

HIV is a virus.

AIDS is a medical condition.

HIV infection causes AIDS to develop. However, it is possible to be infected with HIV without developing AIDS. Without treatment, the HIV infection is allowed to progress and eventually it will develop into AIDS in the vast majority of cases.

HIV testing can identify infection in the early stages. This allows the patient to use prophylactic (preventive) drugs which will slow the rate at which the virus replicates, delaying the onset of AIDS.

AIDS patients still have the HIV virus and are still infectious. Someone with AIDS can pass HIV to someone else.

Signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS

What is the difference between a sign and a symptom? A sign is something other people, apart from the patient can detect, such as a swelling, rash, or change in skin color. A symptom is something only the patient feels and describes, such as a headache, fatigue, or dizziness.

For the most part, the symptoms of HIV are the result of infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. These conditions do not normally develop in individuals with healthy immune systems, which protect the body against infection.

Signs and symptoms of early HIV infection

Image by Mikael Häggström

Many people with HIV have no symptoms for several years. Others may develop symptoms similar to flu, usually two to six weeks after catching the virus. The symptoms can last up to four weeks.

Symptoms of early HIV infection may include:

fever
chills
joint pain
muscle ache
sore throat
sweats (particularly at night)
enlarged glands
a red rash
tiredness
weakness
weight loss

Asymptomatic HIV infection

In many cases, after the initial symptoms disappear, there will not be any further symptoms for many years. During this time, the virus carries on developing and damages the immune system. This process can take up to 10 years. The infected person will experience no symptoms, feel well and appear healthy.

Late-stage HIV infection

If left untreated, HIV weakens the ability to fight infection. The person becomes vulnerable to serious illnesses. This stage of infection is known as AIDS.

Signs and symptoms of late-stage HIV infection may include:

blurred vision
diarrhea, which is usually persistent or chronic
dry cough
fever of above 37C (100F) lasting for weeks
night sweats
permanent tiredness
shortness of breath
swollen glands lasting for weeks
weight loss
white spots on the tongue or mouth

During late-stage HIV infection, the risk of developing a life-threatening illness is much greater. Examples include:

esophagitis (an inflammation of the lining of the lower end of the esophagus)
infections to the nervous system (acute aseptic meningitis, subacute encephalitis, peripheral neuropathy)
pneumonia
some cancers, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, invasive cervical cancer, lung cancer, rectal carcinomas, hepatocellular carcinomas, head and neck cancers, cancers of the immune system known as lymphomas
toxoplasmosis (a disease caused by a parasite that infects the brain. It can also cause disease in the eyes and lungs)
tuberculosis

Life-threatening illnesses may be controlled and treated with proper HIV treatment.

What causes HIV/AIDS

HIV is a retrovirus that infects the vital organs of the human immune system. The virus progresses in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. The rate of virus progression varies widely between individuals and depends on many factors (age of the patient, body's ability to defend against HIV, access to health care, existence of coexisting infections, the infected person's genetic inheritance, resistance to certain strains of HIV).

HIV can be transmitted through:

Sexual transmission. It can happen when there is contact with infected sexual secretions (rectal, genital or oral mucous membranes). This can happen while having unprotected sex, including vaginal, oral and anal sex or sharing sex toys with someone infected with HIV.
Perinatal transmission. The mother can pass the infection on to her child during childbirth, pregnancy, and also through breastfeeding.
Blood transmission. The risk of transmitting HIV through blood transfusion is nowadays extremely low in developed countries, thanks to meticulous screening and precautions. Among drug users, sharing and reusing syringes contaminated with HIV-infected blood is extremely hazardous.

Thanks to strict protection procedures the risk of accidental infection for healthcare workers is low.

Individuals who give and receive tattoos and piercings are also at risk and should be very careful.