About HIV: What is HIV?

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that weakens the body's immune system until it can no longer fight off diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, other infections, and some cancers. HIV kills one type of the body's white blood cells, the helper T- lymphocyte, also known as T-4 or CD4+ lymphocytes. These cells direct the body's immune defense against infection.

HIV can affect individuals differently. Because many people with an HIV infection can appear healthy for years, one cannot rely on appearance or symptoms to know whether or not a person is infected. The only way to know is to be tested with one of the approved HIV tests.

HIV establishes a slow but relentlessly progressive infection. Those infected may not become ill for as long as 10 years or more from the time of initial infection. Consequently, the HIV epidemic today is largely unseen because most individuals who are infected do not yet have signs or symptoms of the infection. Today's HIV infections will ultimately join the AIDS epidemic in the future.

In 1988 the final report of the Presidential Commission on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Epidemic (often referred to as the President's AIDS Commission) stated in the first point of its Executive Summary: "the term 'AIDS' is obsolete. HIV infection more correctly defines the problem. The medical, public health, political and community leadership must focus on the full course of HIV infection rather than concentrating on later stages of the disease. Continual focus on AIDS rather than the entire spectrum of HIV disease has left our nation unable to deal adequately with the epidemic."

This point was made so dramatically because once infection occurs the individual remains infected for life. Recent research shows some benefit with combination therapies (HAART - highly active antiretroviral therapy), that is, several antiretroviral drugs including protease inhibitors administered simultaneously. Other interesting research related to prolonging life with HIV include studies of long-term survivors and those in the population who may be genetically resistant to HIV infection. But even today, after years of studying the epidemic, there is no cure and no vaccine. Anyone who is HIV infected remains infected for life.

Next: What is AIDS?