Why do aids occur

You've been having treatment and your viral load numbers stop going down. You've been having treatment and your viral load numbers become detectable after not being detectable. How is AIDS diagnosed? Treatment Overview The most effective treatment for HIV is antiretroviral therapy ART , a combination of several medicines that aims to control the amount of virus in your body.

Other steps you can take include the following: Keep your immune system strong by eating right, quitting smoking, and learning how to avoid infection. For more information, see Home Treatment. For more information, see Examinations and Tests. See a counsellor to help you handle the strong emotions and stress that can follow an HIV diagnosis.

For more information, see Other Treatment. Reduce stress so that you can better manage the HIV illness. Starting treatment Medical experts recommend that people begin treatment for HIV as soon as they know that they are infected. Learn more about HIV to actively share in health care decisions. Join a support groupto share information and emotions relating to HIV. Use condoms whenever you have sex. Learn how to handle food safely so you don't get a foodborne infection.

If your partner has HIV: Provide emotional support. Don't be afraid to discuss the disease. Often people with HIV need to talk. Protect yourself against HIV infection and other infections by not sharing needles or having unprotected sex. Protect your partner with HIV from other infections by staying away from him or her when you are sick.

Treatment to prevent HIV infection Health care workers who are at risk for HIV because of an accidental needle stick or other exposure to body fluids may need medicine to prevent infection. Prevention Safer sex Practice safer sex. Alcohol and drugs If you use alcohol or drugs, be very careful.

If you already have HIV If you are infected with HIV, you can greatly lower the risk of spreading the infection to your sex partner by starting treatment when your immune system is still healthy. Steps to avoid spreading HIV If you are infected with HIV, you can greatly lower the risk of spreading the infection to your sex partner by starting treatment when your immune system is still healthy.

Take antiretroviral medicines. Tell your sex partner or partners about your behaviour and whether you are HIV-positive. Follow safer sex practices, such as using condoms. Do not donate blood, plasma, semen, body organs, or body tissues. Do not share personal items, such as toothbrushes, razors, or sex toys, that may be contaminated with blood, semen, or vaginal fluids. If you are pregnant The risk of a woman spreading HIV to her baby can be greatly reduced if she: Is on medicine that reduces the amount of virus in her blood to undetectable levels during pregnancy.

Continues treatment during pregnancy. Does not breastfeed her baby. Make healthy lifestyle choices Eat a healthy, balanced diet to keep your immune system strong. A heart-healthy diet can help prevent some of the problems, such as high cholesterol, that can be caused by treatment for HIV.

Learn how to handle food properly to avoid getting a foodborne illness. Exercise regularly to reduce stress and improve the quality of your life. Take steps to help prevent HIV-related fatigue.

Don't smoke. People with HIV are more likely to have a heart attack or get lung cancer. Don't use illegal drugs. And limit your use of alcohol. Join a support group Support groups are often good places to share information, problem-solving tips, and emotions related to HIV infection. Prevent other illnesses Get the immunizations and the medicine treatment you need to prevent certain infections or illnesses, such as some types of pneumonia or cancer that are more likely to develop in people who have a weakened immune system.

Tips for caregivers A skilled caregiver can provide the emotional, physical, and medical care that will improve the quality of life for a person who has HIV. If your partner has HIV: Provide emotional support , such as listening to and encouraging the person. Protect your partner with HIV from other infections by practicing good hygiene.

Take care of yourself by sharing your frustrations with others and seeking help when you need it. Provide home care by learning how to give medicine and seek help in an emergency. Medications Medicines used to treat HIV are called antiretrovirals. When choosing medicines, your doctor will think about: How well the medicines reduce viral load.

How likely it is that the virus will become resistant to a certain type of medicine. Medicine side effects and your willingness to live with them. Other Treatment Counselling Counselling may help you to: Deal with strong emotions.

Reduce anxiety and depression. Reducing stress Reducing stress can help you better manage the HIV illness. Some methods of stress reduction include: Relaxation , which involves breathing and muscle relaxation exercises. Guided imagery , a series of thoughts and suggestions that help you relax.

Biofeedback , which teaches you to relax through learning to control a body function that isn't normally under conscious control, such as heart rate or skin temperature. Problem solving , which focuses on any current problems in your life and helps you solve them. Acupuncture , which involves the insertion of very thin needles into the skin to stimulate energy flow throughout the body. It may also help reduce the side effects of HIV medicines.

Medical cannabis marijuana Cannabis has been shown to stimulate the appetite and relieve nausea. Alternative treatments Alternative and complementary treatments for HIV need to be carefully evaluated. Related Information Sexually Transmitted Infections. References Citations U. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Preexposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV infection in the United States— update: A clinical practice guideline.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed July 28, CATIE Pre-exposure prophylaxis PrEP resources. Accessed October 26, Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in HIVinfected adults and adolescents. Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed May 5, Thompson MA, et al. JAMA , 4 : — Schneider E, et al. Public Health Agency of Canada Human immunodeficiency virus: HIV screening and testing guide.

Updated U. Public Health Services guidelines for the management of occupational exposures to HIV and recommendations for postexposure prophylaxis. Antiretroviral postexposure prophylaxis after sexual, injection-drug use, or other nonoccupational exposure to HIV in the United States. Recommendations from the U. Grant RM, et al. Preexposure chemoprophylaxis for HIV prevention in men who have sex with men.

New England Journal of Medicine , 27 : — Interim guidance: Preexposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV infection in men who have sex with men. MMWR , 60 03 : 65— Baeten JM, et al. Antiretroviral prophylaxis for HIV prevention in heterosexual men and women. New England Journal of Medicine , 5 : — Thigpen MC, et al. Antiretroviral preexposure prophylaxis for heterosexual HIV transmission in Botswana.

Cohen MS, et al. Prevention of HIV-1 infection with early antiretroviral therapy. New England Journal of Medicine , July 18, epub ahead of print doi Porco TC, et al.

Decline in HIV infectivity following the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy. AIDS , 18 1 : 81— Lazzaretti RK, et al. Dietary intervention prevents dyslipidemia associated with highly active antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected individuals: A randomized trial. Journal of the American College of Cardiology , 59 11 : — Triant VA, et al. Increased acute myocardial infarction rates and cardiovascular risk factors among patients with HIV disease.

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Chaturvedi AK, et al. Elevated risk of lung cancer among people with AIDS. AIDS , 21 2 : — Prenatal and perinatal human immunodeficiency virus testing: Expanded recommendations. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 3 : — Antiviral therapy of human immunodeficiency virus infection.

In KK Holmes et al. New York: McGraw-Hill. Gunthard HF, et al. JAMA, 2 : — DOI: Accessed August 2, Jia Z, et al. Antiretroviral therapy to prevent HIV transmission in serodiscordant couples in China —11 : A national observational cohort study. Published online November 30, doi Kitahata MM, et al. Effect of early versus deferred antiretroviral therapy for HIV on survival.

New England Journal of Medicine. Published online April 1, doi Accessed April 16, Rerks-Ngarm S, et al. New England Journal of Medicine, 23 : — World Health Organization Antiretroviral drugs for treating pregnant women and preventing HIV infection in infants: Recommendations for a public health approach, version. Antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection in adults and adolescents: Recommendations for a public health approach. Antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection in infants and children: Towards universal access.

Guidelines on HIV and infant feeding Principles and recommendations for infant feeding in the context of HIV and a summary of evidence. Top of the page Next Section: Health Tools. Previous Section: When should you call your doctor? Top of the page Next Section: Treatment Overview. Previous Section: References Top of the page. Preexposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV infection in the United States update: A clinical practice guideline.

JAMA , 4 : New England Journal of Medicine , 27 : HIV human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that attacks the immune system. In AIDS, the immune system is severely weakened.

People with AIDS get serious infections and health problems. HIV spreads when infected blood, semen "cum" or vaginal fluids enter the body. Because symptoms can be mild at first, people with HIV might not know they're infected. After the first month or so, HIV enters the clinical latency stage. This stage can last from a few years to a few decades.

As with the early stage, HIV is still transferable during this time even without symptoms and can be transmitted to another person.

HIV symptoms at this stage may come and go, or they may progress rapidly. This progression can be slowed substantially with treatment. With the consistent use of this antiretroviral therapy, chronic HIV can last for decades and will likely not develop into AIDS, if treatment was started early enough. Learn more about how HIV symptoms can progress over time. Many people with HIV experience changes to their skin. Rash is often one of the first symptoms of an HIV infection.

Generally, an HIV rash appears as multiple small red lesions that are flat and raised. HIV makes someone more susceptible to skin problems because the virus destroys immune system cells that take measures against infection. Co-infections that can cause rash include:. While rash can be caused by HIV co-infections, it can also be caused by medication.

Some drugs used to treat HIV or other conditions can cause a rash. This type of rash usually appears within a week or 2 weeks of starting a new medication. Sometimes the rash will clear up on its own. Symptoms include fever and swelling of the face and tongue. A blistering rash, which can involve the skin and mucous membranes, appears and spreads quickly.

If this develops, emergency medical care is needed. Learn more about HIV rash. These symptoms can come and go or get progressively worse. These include:. Men, and those with a penis, may be more likely than women to notice symptoms of STIs such as sores on their genitals. Learn more about HIV symptoms in men. For the most part, symptoms of HIV are similar in men and women. However, symptoms they experience overall may differ based on the different risks men and women face if they have HIV.

However, women, and those with a vagina, may be less likely than men to notice small spots or other changes to their genitals. While not related to HIV symptoms, another risk for women with HIV is that the virus can be transmitted to a baby during pregnancy.

However, antiretroviral therapy is considered safe during pregnancy. Women who are treated with antiretroviral therapy are at very low risk for transmitting HIV to their baby during pregnancy and delivery. Breastfeeding is also affected in women with HIV.

The virus can be transferred to a baby through breast milk. For these women, use of formula is encouraged. Options besides formula include pasteurized banked human milk. Learn more about HIV symptoms in women. AIDS refers to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. By that time, the immune system is quite damaged and has a harder time generating a response to infection and disease. Antiretroviral therapy controls the virus and usually prevents progression to AIDS.

Other infections and complications of AIDS can also be treated. That treatment must be tailored to the individual needs of the person.

The virus can also be transmitted through a blood transfusion or organ and tissue transplant. However, rigorous testing for HIV among blood, organ, and tissue donors ensures that this is very rare in the United States. Learn more about HIV transmission.

HIV is a variation of a virus that can be transmitted to African chimpanzees. Scientists suspect the simian immunodeficiency virus SIV jumped from chimps to humans when people consumed chimpanzee meat containing the virus. Once inside the human population, the virus mutated into what we now know as HIV. This likely occurred as long ago as the s. HIV spread from person to person throughout Africa over the course of several decades.

Eventually, the virus migrated to other parts of the world. Scientists first discovered HIV in a human blood sample in The main treatment for HIV is antiretroviral therapy, a combination of daily medications that stop the virus from reproducing. This helps protect CD4 cells, keeping the immune system strong enough to take measures against disease. It also helps reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others. However, the virus is still in the body.

And if that person stops taking antiretroviral therapy, the viral load will increase again, and the HIV can again start attacking CD4 cells. Learn more about how HIV treatments work. Many antiretroviral therapy medications are approved to treat HIV. They work to prevent HIV from reproducing and destroying CD4 cells, which help the immune system generate a response to infection. This helps reduce the risk of developing complications related to HIV, as well as transmitting the virus to others.

The U. This combination helps prevent HIV from forming resistance to medications. Resistance means the drug no longer works to treat the virus. Many of the antiretroviral medications are combined with others so that a person with HIV typically takes only one or two pills a day. A healthcare provider will help a person with HIV choose a regimen based on their overall health and personal circumstances.

These medications must be taken every day, exactly as prescribed. Blood testing will help determine if the regimen is working to keep the viral load down and the CD4 count up. Side effects of antiretroviral therapy vary and may include nausea, headache, and dizziness.