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HIV

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that infects and destroys certain white blood cells (called CD4+ cells) that are an important part of the body’s immune system. If HIV destroys too many CD4+ cells the body can’t fight off infection.

You can get HIV by:

  • Having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV
  • Sharing drug needles with someone who has HIV
  • Babies can get HIV from their mothers during pregnancy, birth, or breast-feeding

HIV doesn’t survive well outside the body so you can’t get it from casual contact like kissing or sharing drinking glasses with an infected person.

The idea is to treat HIV as soon as it’s diagnosed to slow or stop the damage to the immune system. With treatment, many people with HIV are able to live long and active lives.

Having HIV doesn’t mean you have AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) or will get AIDS. Even without treatment, it can take from 10 to 20 years for HIV to progress to AIDS. If AIDS does develop, medicines can often help rebuild the immune system.

HIV symptoms

HIV may not cause symptoms early on and might seem just like the flu or mono.

Common early symptoms usually show up from a few days to several weeks after exposure, then go away within 2 to 3 weeks:

  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches and joint pain
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Skin rash

Common later symptoms may not appear for many years:

  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Extreme tiredness
  • Weight loss
  • Fever
  • Night sweats

Diagnosing HIV

When you are exposed to HIV, your immune system makes antibodies to fight the virus. Doctors test your urine, saliva, or blood to see if you have these antibodies.

Two blood tests your doctor may use to test for HIV are:

  • ELISA – if this test is positive for HIV, the blood sample is tested again
  • Western blot – performed if the second ELISA test is positive to confirm the results

It may take up to 6 months for HIV antibodies to show up in your blood. If you think you have been exposed to HIV but you test negative for it, get tested again at 6, 12, and 24 weeks after exposure to be sure you are not infected. Meanwhile, take steps to keep from spreading the virus, just in case.

Get HIV testing in most doctors’ offices, public health clinics, hospitals, and Planned Parenthood clinics. Or use a home HIV test kit approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If the home kit test is positive, see your doctor to confirm the results and start treatment.

Treating HIV

HIV is usually treated with a combination of medicines called antiretroviral therapy, or ART.

ARTs can reduce the amount of virus in your body and help you stay healthy.

Medical experts recommend that people begin treatment for HIV as soon as they know they are infected. It’s important to take ART exactly as prescribed, otherwise HIV may become resistant to the medicine and treatment can fail.

To monitor the effectiveness of treatment, you’ll regularly have two tests:

  • Viral load, which shows the amount of virus in your blood
  • CD4+ cell count, which shows how well your immune system is working

Preventing HIV

HIV is often spread by people who don’t know they have it. Always protect yourself and others by taking these steps:

  • Talk with your partner about STIs. Find out if he or she is at risk for HIV.
  • Save sex for later. Delay sex with a new partner until both of you have been tested for HIV. Get tested together before you have sex then again at 6, 12, and 24 weeks after the first test to make sure neither of you is infected. Use condoms in the meantime.
  • Remember, every time you have sex with a new partner, you’re being exposed to all the infections their partners may have.
  • Do not have sex with anyone who has symptoms or has been exposed to a STI.
  • Use a latex or polyurethane condom every time every time you have sex (including oral sex) until you are sure that you and your partner aren’t infected with HIV or other STIs.
  • Don’t share personal items, such as toothbrushes or razors.
  • Don’t share needles or syringes.
  • Stay in control. Drinking too much alcohol or using illegal drugs before sex might cause you to practice unsafe sex. Don’t do it.
  • Be responsible. Don’t have sex if you have symptoms or are being treated for HIV.
  • Take an antiretroviral medicine to reduce your risk, but still practice safer sex even while you are taking the medicine.
By Betty Shen, MD - Published November 3, 2015