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STAGES OF HIV INFECTION
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Most people who are infected with mv go through the following stages:
Flu-like illness (acute retroviral syndrome)- This usually happens
3 to 6 weeks after exposure to HfV but can also happen just a few
days after exposure.
mv infection without symptoms (asymptomatic)-Many people
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replicates so quickly that more viruses are produced than the
immune system can destroy. After years of fighting the mv
infection, the immune system starts to weaken.
mv infection with symptoms (symptomatic)-This
stageof Hl'V
infection is characterized by persistent swollen lymph glands,
night sweats, profound fatigue, unexplained weight loss, paranoia,
and/or oral thrush (a fungal infection). These are all signs of early.
failure of the immune system. This usually occurs after the T4
cell count falls below 500, which-among US cases-may not
occur until a person has been infected for ~ight to 12 years.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-AIDS is the last'
stage of infection with HIV. The immune system is so weak that it
can no longer control many pathogens. These pathogens cause
opportunistic diseases such as PCP (a type of pneumonia) and
Kaposi's sarcoma, a cancer that causes brown 'or purple splotches on
the skin.. Without treatment, mv infection progresses' to AIDS in
most people 12 to 13 years after they first become infected. With
treatment, the progression to AIDS may be delayed or prevented.
AIDS is diagnosed when a person:
)- has a CD4+ cell count below 200 cells per microliter (ul.) of
blood.
)- develops an opportunistic infection or "AIDS indicator" disease such
as Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) or Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP).
Without treatment, a person with AIDS often dies within 18 to 24 months. Young children
usually die sooner. New treatments are improving the outlook for many people, but there is
still no cure for AIDS. Early diagnosis of mv infection will help you get the treatment and
support you need and improve your chances of staying healthy longer.
HUMAN RELATIONS MEDIA IB
AIDS UPDATE: THE LATEST FACTS