Patient education: HIV and AIDS (The Basics)

What is HIV? — 

This is a virus that can affect the "immune system," which is responsible for fighting infections. When a person has untreated HIV, they can get sick easily. That's because their immune system cannot work as well to fight off infections or cancer. But people with HIV can take medicines to control the virus, keep their immune system strong, and stay healthy.

People can get infected with HIV if blood or body fluid from a person with HIV enters their body. Body fluids include semen and vaginal fluids. For example, a person can get HIV if they:

●Have sex with someone who has HIV without using a condom – This includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex.

●Share needles or syringes with someone who has HIV

What is AIDS? — 

This is the stage of HIV infection when the immune system is at its weakest. Having a weak immune system makes it more likely for you to get other infections.

What are the symptoms of HIV? — 

When a person first gets infected, they can have a fever, sore throat, headache, muscle pain, and joint pain. These symptoms usually last about 2 weeks. In some cases, these symptoms are very mild. Many people do not even remember having them.

In the first few years after infection, most people have no symptoms or only mild symptoms. Some have swelling of the lymph nodes, which are small bean-shaped organs under the skin. When this happens, it is usually in the neck, armpit, or groin. Lymph node swelling can also happen in people who have HIV for a long time.

People who have untreated HIV for many years might have other problems, such as:

●Fever, diarrhea, and weight loss

●Other infections, including:

•Yeast infections in the mouth that can cause soreness and raised, white patches

•Lung infections

•Brain infections

•Eye infections that cause trouble seeing

Is there a test for HIV? — 

Yes. You can get HIV testing in your doctor's office or clinic. The test is done on a sample of blood or sometimes saliva (spit). Results from some tests take a few days to come back. But results from rapid HIV tests can be ready within minutes.

Most pharmacies also sell test kits you can use at home. For 1 type, you use a special strip to collect a tiny sample of your blood, and you mail the strip to a lab for testing. Another type comes with a test strip you wipe along your gums. If you take a home test that says you are HIV positive, see your doctor and ask for a follow-up test to make sure.

It can be scary to find out you have HIV. It might help to talk to a counselor who specializes in HIV or go to a support group. Your doctor or nurse can help you find local or online options. It might also help to tell trusted friends or family. But this decision is completely up to you. Your doctor, nurse, or counselor can help you figure out how to tell people about your diagnosis.

How is HIV treated? — 

Doctors can prescribe different combinations of "antiretroviral" medicines. They work very well to keep HIV infection controlled in most people. You and your doctor will work together to decide which medicines are right for you.

Some things you should know about treatment:

●Follow all your doctor's instructions, and take your HIV medicines as prescribed. This is important because HIV can get worse if you skip or stop taking your medicines. Tell your doctor if you have any side effects or problems with your medicines. Talk to your doctor about any other medicines and supplements you take. Some of these can affect how your HIV medicines work.

●You will get regular tests to check the amount of virus in your blood. This is called the "viral load." The goal of treatment is to get your viral load to very low levels. In some people, the viral load might even be "undetectable." This means there is so little virus in your blood the test cannot even pick it up.

●Some people with HIV also take medicines to prevent HIV-related infections. For example, most doctors recommend people with a low "T cell count" or "CD4 count" take an antibiotic to keep from getting a lung infection called PCP. (T cells are a special type of white blood cell.)

What if I am pregnant or want to get pregnant? — 

If you have HIV and are not taking HIV medicines, your baby can get infected with HIV during pregnancy, during birth, or through breastfeeding. If you are pregnant or want to get pregnant, talk with your doctor about ways to reduce the chance of passing HIV on to your baby.

How can I prevent spreading HIV to other people? — 

The best way to reduce the chance of spreading HIV to other people is to get tested and start treatment as soon as possible. Taking medicine to lower the amount of virus in your blood can help prevent spreading HIV to others. But you must take the medicine exactly as instructed. If tests show your HIV medicines are working (for example, there is no "detectable" virus in your blood), then you cannot spread HIV to others.

There are other ways to lower the risk of spreading HIV, including:

●Use a latex condom correctly every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex (figure 1).

●Do not share razors or toothbrushes with others.

●Do not share drug needles or syringes with others. You might be able to get clean needles for free. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about needle exchange programs in your area.

Your sex partners can also do things to protect themselves. They can take medicines to lower their risk of getting HIV. These are called "pre-exposure prophylaxis" ("PrEP") and "post-exposure prophylaxis" ("PEP"). They should talk to their doctor about which option is right for them.

When should I call the doctor? — 

Call your doctor or nurse if you:

●Take HIV medicines, and:

•Are having trouble remembering to take your medicines as prescribed

•Have an upset stomach, loose stools, or loss of appetite after starting a new medicine

•Have questions about your medicines

●Have a rash

●Have questions or concerns about your condition

More on this topic

Patient education: Taking medicines to prevent HIV before exposure (The Basics)
Patient education: Exposure to HIV or hepatitis through blood or body fluids (The Basics)
Patient education: Preventing HIV after a possible exposure (The Basics)
Patient education: HIV blood test (The Basics)
Patient education: Starting treatment for HIV (The Basics)
Patient education: Tests to monitor HIV (The Basics)
Patient education: Vaccines for adults with HIV (The Basics)
Patient education: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (The Basics)
Patient education: Sexually transmitted infections (The Basics)

Patient education: Symptoms of HIV (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Testing for HIV (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Initial treatment of HIV (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Tips for taking HIV medications by mouth (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: HIV and pregnancy (Beyond the Basics)