AIDS

What is AIDS?

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is a chronic condition caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically destroying and impairing the immune cells (different types of white blood cells). This can hamper your ability to fight off infection and disease, causing symptoms such as fatigue, fever, weight loss, and swollen lymph nodes.  

HIV, and subsequently AIDS, continue to be major global health issues, however thanks to advancements it is now a manageable chronic health condition. It is estimated that 38 million people worldwide are affected by HIV and approximately two-thirds have access to treatment to prevent HIV from progressing; antiretroviral therapy.  

What causes AIDS?  

There are three stages of HIV: acute HIV infection, chronic HIV infection, and AIDS, which is the most advanced and severe form of HIV.  If HIV is left untreated or undetected, AIDS will develop eight to ten years after the initial infection. At this stage, the immune system is badly damaged.  

How is AIDS transmitted?  

It’s important to note that AIDS can’t be transmitted, but HIV can be. There are three ways in which HIV can be transmitted:  

• Through unprotected sexual intercourse: vaginal, anal, or oral sexual intercourse. 
• Through contaminated blood: transfusions, sharing injecting or cutting material.  
• From mother to child: during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.  

You can’t be infected through day-to-day contact, like exchanging hugs, kisses, handshakes, or sharing objects, food, or water. 

What are the main risk factors for AIDS?  

Anyone can get HIV, and potentially AIDS, regardless of age, race, sex, or sexual orientation. Factors that increase the chances of contracting HIV include:  

• unprotected sex 
• another STI (sexually transmitted infection)  
• sharing or accidentally being pricked by contaminated needles and/ or syringes  
• unsafe injections, blood transfusions, tissue transplantations, or other medical procedures. 

How does HIV develop into AIDS?  

The process by which HIV develops into AIDS can take around eight to ten years. During this time more and more immune cells are destroyed and your immune system is weakened. HIV is considered to be AIDS when: 

• there are less than 200 CD4 cells (T cells or white blood cells) per cubic millimetres of blood, compared to the healthy count of 500 – 1,600.  
• an “opportunistic” serious infection or cancer has developed.

If people with HIV are prescribed HIV medicine, it will prevent the disease from progressing and may be life-saving.  

Can you prevent HIV from progressing to AIDS?  

A range of effective HIV drugs have been developed which can combat the virus and stop it from destroying your white blood cells. Providing you continue taking the drugs, you can prevent the virus from progressing any further. This is why it’s important to see a doctor if you have any symptoms of HIV. 

What symptoms does AIDS cause?   

As there are many different kinds of opportunistic infections and cancers, the symptoms of AIDS can vary widely. Signs and symptoms include: 

• chronic diarrhoea 
• night sweats 
• persistent fatigue 
• recurring fever 
• chills  
• swollen lymph glands  
• mouth ulcers or white spots  
• weight loss 
• rashes, bumps  

 

 

How is AIDS diagnosed?  

A diagnosis of AIDS is generally made if you show signs of being affected by some of these infections, or your CD4 (T cells/ white blood cell) count falls below 200.  

How is AIDS treated?  

Many of the different infections that characterise AIDS can be treated. For example, if you are affected by recurrent diarrhoea, your doctor can prescribe you anti-diarrhoea medication. You may also be given advice on how to tackle night sweats. 

However, the main aim of treatment for AIDS is to tackle the HIV virus. Still, there is no vaccination to prevent infection or treatment to cure the infection. Antiviral medication is widely used to suppress the virus and helps to avoid weakening of the immune system, so the body’s immune system can start to recover and fight infections more effectively. Antiviral medication is therefore a core part of HIV/AIDS treatment. 

Treatment for HIV/ AIDS is prescribed on an individual bases and may need to be reviewed and modified.  

Which type of specialist treats AIDS?   

HIV and/or AIDs are treated by a specialist in internal medicine with a subspeciality in infectious disease. 

What complications can arise from AIDS?   

Left untreated, HIV gradually weakens the body’s immune system to the point where “opportunistic” infections and cancers start to affect you. These are diseases that wouldn’t affect you significantly if you had a healthy immune system. Commonly these diseases include: 

Infections: 

• pneumonia 
• thrush  
• tuberculosis 
• cytomegalovirus (a type of herpes virus)  
• cryptococcal meningitis  
• toxoplasmosis  

Cancers: 

• lymphoma  
• Kaposi’s sarcoma (tumours on the blood vessel walls)  
• HPV-related cancers (anal, oral, cervical cancers)  

Other complications may be wasting syndrome, neurological complications, and kidney or liver disease.  

Can you survive having AIDS? 

AIDS is the final stage of HIV and is characterised by life-threatening infections and cancers. If you don’t take medication your life expectancy is significantly reduced; people with AIDS will survive for three on average. However, it is possible to live a very long time with AIDS if you have effective treatment.