HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a member of retrovirus family. It damages the immune system and interferes with the ability of the body to fight against infections and diseases. It is spread by body fluids of an infected person most commonly during unprotected sex or by sharing infected needles. It causes AIDS ( acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) which is the last stage of the HIV infection.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injecting drugs, and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), an HIV medication taken within 72 hours of a possible exposure that prevents the virus from taking hold, are effective ways to prevent getting HIV through sex or drug use.
AIDS is deemed to have developed in a person with HIV when:
- Their CD4 cell count is less than 200 cells per millilitre of blood (200 cells/mm 3). (CD4 levels in people with healthy immune systems range from 500 to 1,600 cells/mm3) OR
- Patients have one or more opportunistic infections irrespective of their CD4 count.
Step by step
Solved in 3 steps
