What Does Human Immunodeficiency Virus Mean

Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).

HIV can drastically reduce the immune system, allowing diseases, bacteria, viruses, and other infections to attack your body. Unlike other viruses, your body cannot get rid of HIV completely. If you are infected with HIV, you will have it for life.

AIDS is the most severe condition of HIV disease and is characterized by the emergence of other diseases, such as cancer and various infections, which occur along with the weakening of your immune system.

How common is HIV and AIDS?

According to a report from the WHO (World Health Organization), at the end of 2014, there were around 37 million people living with HIV and 1.2 million people died of AIDS-related causes. However, only 54% of sufferers realized that they had HIV / AIDS. This is because you might have HIV without symptoms.

What are the signs and symptoms of HIV and AIDS?

Even if you don't show any symptoms, you can still transmit the virus to other people. This is because HIV can take up to 2 to 15 years to produce symptoms. You may have HIV and still look healthy and function normally. You cannot know for sure whether you have HIV until you are examined.

HIV does not directly damage your organs, but attacks your immune system, allowing various other diseases, especially infections, to attack your body. The first symptom of HIV is similar to other viral infections:

• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Muscleache
• Losing weight
• Swollen glands in the throat, armpit, or groin

AIDS is the progressive advanced stage of HIV infection. HIV can reduce the immune system, causing many other conditions of infection. If you have AIDS, you may have several infectious conditions at the same time, for example

• Infection, either one or even several, for example tuberculosis, cytomegalovirus infection, cryptococcal meningitis, toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis.
• Cancer. For example lung cancer, kidney cancer or lymphoma, and Kaposi's sarcoma.
• Tuberculosis (TB). In resource-poor countries, TB is the most common infection associated with HIV, and is the leading cause of death among people with AIDS.
• Cytomegalovirus. This common herpes virus is transmitted in body fluids such as saliva, blood, urine, semen, and mother's milk. A healthy immune system will make the virus inactive. However, if the immune system is weakened, the virus reappears and causes damage to the eyes, digestive tract, lungs, or other organs.
• Candidiasis. Candidiasis is an infection that also often occurs related to HIV. This condition causes inflammation and causes a thick and white layer on the mucous membranes of the mouth, tongue, esophagus or vagina.
• Cryptococcal meningitis. Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes and fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (meninges). Cryptococcal meningitis is an infection of the central nervous system associated with HIV, caused by fungi found in the soil.
• Toxoplasmosis. This deadly infection is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that spreads mainly by cats. Infected cats also have parasites in their feces, and parasites can then spread to other animals and humans.
• Cryptosporidiosis. This infection is caused by intestinal parasites commonly found in animals. You can contact cryptosporidiosis when you swallow contaminated food or water. Parasites grow in your intestines and bile ducts, causing severe chronic diarrhea in people with AIDS.
• Besides infection, you are also at risk of developing cancer and neurological problems and kidney problems when you have AIDS.

This condition can manifest as:

• Thrush: a thick, thick vaginal discharge on the tongue or mouth caused by a fungal infection and sometimes accompanied by a sore throat
• Severe or recurrent vaginal yeast infections
• Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease
• The infection is severe and often experiences extreme fatigue that cannot be explained the cause, which may appear together with headaches, and / or dizziness
• Weight loss of more than 5 kg is not caused due to an increase in physical exercise or diet
• Bruising is easier than usual
• Periods of diarrhea are more frequent
• Frequent fever and / or night sweats
• Swelling or hardening of glands located in the throat, armpit, or groin
• Continuous dry cough period
• Increased shortness of breath
• The appearance of discoloration or purplishness of the skin or in the mouth
• Bleeding to the skin, mouth, nose, anus, or vagina, or from opening in the body without cause
• Frequent or unusual skin rashes
• Severe numbness or pain in the hands or feet, loss of muscle control and reflexes, paralysis, or loss of muscle strength
• Confusion, personality changes, or decreased mental abilities

There may be some symptoms that are not listed above. If you have questions about a symptom, please consult with your doctor.

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