• Acquired. means that the disease does not occur “naturally” in the body but develops after coming into contact with something that can cause disease (in this case, HIV).
  
  
• Immune Deficiency. means that it weakens the body’s immune system.
  
  
• Syndrome. refers to a group of health problems that make up a disease.  In the case of AIDS, this can include certain infections and cancers.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.  The virus is most commonly spread through sexual contact or by sharing drug-injection equipment with someone who is infected.  Babies born to HIV-positive women can be infected with the virus before or during birth, or through breastfeeding after birth. HIV can also be spread through transfusions of donated blood or blood clotting factors.  However, this is now very rare in countries where blood products are screened for HIV, including in the United States.

HIV attacks the immune system, notably its T-cells (also known as CD4+ cells or T-helper cells).  These cells are white blood cells that program other white blood cells to fight disease.

If HIV kills enough T-cells, the immune system loses its ability to protect the body from serious infections and cancers.  These are called “opportunistic” illnesses (OIs) because they take advantage of the weakened immune system.  You have probably heard it said that someone “died of AIDS.” This is not entirely accurate, since it is the OIs that cause death.  AIDS is the condition that lets the OIs occur.

Being HIV positive is not the same as having AIDS.  Many people are HIV positive – meaning that they are infected with HIV – but don’t get sick for many years.  Without treatment, it can take ten to 12 years for a person to progress to AIDS from the time of infection.  With care and treatment, HIV progression can be delayed or reversed – but not cured – for many years.

The Bad

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that there are 40 million people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide. Most of them do not know they carry HIV and may be spreading the virus to others. In the United States, approximately one million people have HIV or AIDS, and 40,000 Americans become newly infected with HIV each year.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that a quarter of all people with HIV in the U.S. do not know they are carrying the virus.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, AIDS has killed more than 25 million people worldwide, including more than 500,000 Americans. AIDS has replaced malaria and tuberculosis as the world's deadliest infectious disease among adults and is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Fifteen million children have been orphaned by the epidemic.

There is no cure for HIV or AIDS.

The Good

HIV transmission can be prevented.  HIV-positive people can take steps to reduce the risk of spreading their virus to other people.  Similarly, HIV-negative people can take steps to reduce the risk of coming in contact with the virus.  Useful information about HIV transmission, including the ways it can be prevented, is available through AIDSmeds.com and TheBody.com.

While HIV cannot be cured, it can be treated.  Treatment usually involves a combination of three or more medications (called antiretrovirals).  Once treatment is started, it is usually continued for life.  HIV-positive people on treatment also need to be followed closely by a healthcare provider, to make sure that the medications are working and not causing serious side effects.

A detailed review of HIV treatment, including when it is started and the antiretroviral options available, can be found on AIDSmeds.com.

Why it’s LGBT

In the United States, HIV infection and AIDS have had a tremendous effect on men who have sex with men (MSM). According to statistics from the CDC, MSM accounted for 70% of all estimated HIV infections among male adults in 2004, even though only about 5% to 7% of male adults in the U.S. identify themselves as MSM.

The number of HIV diagnoses for MSM decreased during the 1980s and 1990s, but recent statistics suggest that HIV infection is once again increasing among MSM.

What to Do

If you don’t know your HIV status, get tested!

Knowing your HIV status – that is, knowing if you’re infected with HIV – is important for two important reasons:

• You can take important steps to prevent the transmission of HIV to your sexual or injection drug-using partners.
  

• You can begin receiving important medical care and, if necessary, treatment.

To find out more about HIV testing, speak with your healthcare provider, get in touch with a local AIDS service organization, or contact a New Jersey testing site. 

If you are HIV positive, see an HIV specialist!

If you are HIV positive, one of the most important tools you will have is your relationship with your healthcare provider. It's worth spending time looking for the right doctor, and being ruthless about changing doctors who don't work for you. Studies have shown that a person with HIV whose doctor treats lots of other HIV-positive people live longer than a person whose doctor only treats a few HIV-positive people. In other words, find a doctor who specializes in treating HIV!

If you don't feel comfortable discussing your most personal stuff with your healthcare provider (your sex life, your bowel habits, the weird growth in your groin, etc.), or your doctor dismisses your concerns or doesn’t adequately answer your questions, then work with a healthcare provider you can comfortably be open and honest with. Remember – your doctor works for you.

Tools

• Get tested.  For more information about HIV testing, click here. 

• Consult with an HIV specialist.  If you’re seeing a healthcare provider for the first time about your HIV, or find out that you’re HIV positive while under the care of the same medical provider you’ve been seeing for years, talk to them about their experience caring for HIV-positive people.  If you’re looking for an HIV specialist, consider checking out the searchable databases maintained by the American Academy of HIV Medicine or HIV Medical Association.

• Know the lab tests you’ll need and your doctor will likely order on a regular basis.  These include the complete blood count, CD4+ (T-cell) count, viral load, chem. screen, and drug-resistance testing.   

• Beginning antiretroviral therapy.  The decision to begin treatment is a personal one for many HIV-positive people.  Your physical health, CD4+ cell count, and viral load are important factors to consider, but so is your willingness to follow the strict daily dosing requirements for these medications.  Know when to start and which medications to start with. 

• Know the medications used to treat HIV.  There are more than twenty antiretrovirals approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat HIV infection.  Figuring out which medications to use, a decision that you and your healthcare provider should make together, will depend on your overall health and your individual needs.