HIV stands for the human immunodeficiency virus which is one of a group of viruses known as retroviruses that kills or damages cells of the body's immune system.

AIDS is “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” caused by HIV and occurs when the virus has destroyed so much of the body's defenses that immune-cell counts fall to critical levels or certain life-threatening infections or cancers develop.

HIV/AIDS is transmitted via three main routes:

• The most common mode of transmission is the transfer of body secretions through sexual contact. This is accomplished through exposure of mucous membranes of the rectum, vagina or mouth to blood, semen or vaginal secretions containing the HIV virus.
• Blood or blood products which can transmit the virus, most often through the sharing of contaminated syringes and needles.
• HIV can be spread during pregnancy from mother to fetus.

HIV/AIDS cannot be transmitted from touching someone or sharing items, such as cups or pencils, or through coughing and sneezing.

After getting infected with HIV, in post immediate period most individuals develop low grade fever, rash, muscle aches, headache and/or fatigue like other viral illness which resolve over a period of 5 to 10 days. Then for a period of several years (sometimes as long as several decades), people infected with HIV are asymptomatic (no symptoms). However, their immune system is gradually being destroyed by the virus. When this destruction has progressed to a critical point, symptoms of AIDS appear. These symptoms are as follows:

• Extreme fatigue
• Rapid weight loss from an unknown cause
• Appearance of swollen or tender glands in the neck, armpits or groin, for no apparent reason, lasting for more than four weeks
• Unexplained shortness of breath, frequently accompanied by a dry cough, not due to allergies or smoking
• Persistent diarrhea
• Intermittent high fever or soaking night sweats of unknown origin
• A marked change in an illness pattern, either in frequency, severity, or length of sickness
• Appearance of one or more purple spots on the surface of the skin, inside the mouth, anus or nasal passages
• Whitish coating on the tongue, throat or vagina
• Forgetfulness, confusion and other signs of mental deterioration



It can take a year or 10 to 15 years to go from being infected with HIV to "full-blown" AIDS.

According to the ‘Center for Disease Control and Prevention’, a person is considered to have AIDS when they have a T cell count (also called CD4 cell count) of 200 or less or they have an AIDS-defining condition like

• Candidiasis
• Cervical cancer (invasive)
• Coccidioidomycosis, Cryptococcosis, Cryptosporidiosis
• Cytomegalovirus disease
• Encephalopathy (HIV-related)
• Herpes simplex (severe infection) etc.

Blood tests are the most common way to diagnose HIV/AIDS. The primary tests for diagnosing HIV and AIDs include:

ELISA Test — ELISA, which stands for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which is used to detect HIV infection. If an ELISA test is positive, the Western blot test is usually administered to confirm the diagnosis.

Saliva Tests - A cotton pad is used to obtain saliva from the inside of your cheek. The pad is placed in a vial and submitted to a laboratory for testing. Results are available in three days. Positive results should be confirmed with a blood test.

Viral Load Test - This test measures the amount of HIV in your blood. Generally, it's used to monitor treatment progress or detect early HIV infection. Three technologies that measures HIV viral load in the blood — reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), branched DNA (bDNA) and nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay (NASBA). The basic principles of these tests are similar. HIV is detected using DNA sequences that bind specifically to those in the virus. It is important to note that results may vary between tests.

Western Blot - This is a very sensitive blood test used to confirm a positive ELISA test result.

Other Test

Other common test include:

CD4+T Cell Count — As soon as HIV enters the body, it begins to destroy or disable body’s CD4+T cells, the immune system's key infection fighters. The CD4+T cell count is a blood test that measures the number of CD4+T cells and helps assess the immune system's health. The CD4+T cell count correlates with a person's risk of developing opportunistic infections and is a useful marker for HIV disease staging and treatment planning.

Treatment of HIV/AIDS

There is no effective vaccine against HIV. The only way to prevent infection by the virus is to avoid behaviors that put you at risk, such as sharing needles or having unprotected sex.

Here are some prevention strategies:

• Abstain from sex. This obviously has limited appeal, but it absolutely protects against HIV transmission by this route.
• Have sex with a single partner who is uninfected. Mutual monogamy between uninfected partners eliminates the risk of sexual transmission of HIV.
• Use a condom in other situations. Condoms offer some protection if used properly and consistently. Occasionally, they may break or leak. Only condoms made of latex should be used. Only water-based lubricants should be used with latex condoms.
• Do not share needles or inject illicit drugs.
• If you work in a health-care field, follow recommended guidelines for protecting yourself against needle sticks and exposure to contaminated fluids.
• If you have engaged in risky behaviors, get tested to see if you have HIV.