Overview Overview: HIV/AIDS
New Wyoming Cases 2009 : 13

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). According to recent estimates, there are over 34 million people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide; one million of those reside in the United States. Wyoming has over 170 individuals living with HIV.

Unlike most other viruses, HIV attacks the body's immune system by living and multiplying in white blood cells, which normally protect the body from disease. HIV is a fragile virus and cannot live for very long outside the body, meaning it is not transmitted through day-to-day activities such as shaking hands, hugging, or a casual kiss.

Instead, transmission of the virus occurs primarily in one of three ways: having unprotected sex (anal, vaginal, or oral) with someone infected with HIV; sharing needles and syringes with someone infected with HIV; or being exposed (fetus or infant) to HIV before or during birth or through breast feeding.

The best way to avoid contracting HIV is to use basic precautions: abstain from sex until you are in a monogamous relationship; use a lubricated latex condom any time you engage in sexual activity; do not inject drugs or share needles; and most importantly, know your own and your partner's HIV status.

There are few to any tell-tale signs that a person has been infected with HIV. Some people may develop mild, temporary flu-like symptoms or persistent swollen glands immediately after infection, but many others can remain asymptomatic for 10 or more years. The only way to determine one's HIV status is to be tested.

Stethoscope Symptoms: HIV/AIDS ˆ Back To Top

Within a few weeks of being infected with HIV, some people develop flu-like symptoms that last for a week or two, but others have no symptoms at all. People living with HIV may appear and feel healthy for several years. However, even if they feel healthy, HIV is still affecting their bodies. All people with HIV should be seen on a regular basis by a health care provider experienced with treating HIV infection. Many people with HIV, including those who feel healthy, can benefit greatly from current medications used to treat HIV infection.

Treatment Treatment: HIV/AIDS ˆ Back To Top

Unfortunately, there is no cure for HIV or AIDS, nor is there a vaccine to prevent it. But HIV is not the death sentence it once was, and there are effective treatments that can help HIV-positive individuals lead relatively normal lives. "Cocktail" therapies - reverse transcriptase inhibitors combined with protease inhibitors to attack harmful HIV enzymes in the body - can often reduce HIV in the bloodstream to very low or undetectable levels, and also allow the body's immune system to rebound to normal levels.

Support Support: HIV/AIDS ˆ Back To Top