HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus Treatment

The main treatment for HIV is antiretroviral therapy, a combination of daily medications that stop the virus from reproducing. This helps protect CD4 cells, keeping the immune system strong enough to fight off disease.

DIAGNOSIS

HIV is most commonly diagnosed by testing your blood or saliva for antibodies to the virus. Unfortunately, it takes time for your body to develop these antibodies, usually up to 12 weeks. A quicker test checks for HIV antigen, a protein produced by the virus immediately after infection.

Symptoms

• headaches and other aches and pains
• swollen lymph nodes
• recurrent fevers
• night sweats
• fatigue
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• weight loss
• skin rashes
• recurrent oral or vaginal yeast infections
• pneumonia
• shingles

Causes

• HIV infection is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus.
• You can get HIV from contact with infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids.
• People get the virus by having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV.
• A common way of getting it is by sharing drug needles with someone who is infected with HIV.

FAQ

not available currently