Difference Between HIV and AIDS: Definition, Types, Examples, Symptoms

Difference Between HIV and AIDS: Although many people use the terms interchangeably, HIV and AIDS are not the same thing. HIV stands for the human immunodeficiency virus, which attacks the human body's immune system, while AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, meaning a state that develops in people who have gone without treatment for HIV. Successful prevention, diagnosis, and treatment depend on a clear distinction between HIV and AIDS.

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This Story also Contains

1. What is HIV?
2. What does HIV do to a person?
3. What’s a retrovirus?
4. Types of HIV
5. Who does HIV affect?
6. How common is HIV?
7. What is AIDS?
8. How does AIDS develop from untreated HIV?
9. What’s the Difference Between HIV and AIDS?
10. Symptoms and Causes
11. What are the stages of HIV?
12. How HIV/AIDS is transmitted?
13. Can HIV be transmitted through Kisses?
14. How do I know whether I have HIV?
15. Pathophysiology of HIV and AIDS
16. How HIV Infects Cells and Replicates?
17. How is the Immune System Compromised Over Time?
18. HIV to AIDS progression
19. Transmission and Prevention of HIV
20. Preventions
21. Living with HIV
22. Global Impact of HIV and AIDS
23. Conclusion
24. Recommended Video on AIDS

What is HIV?

Definition of HIV: HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a type of retrovirus that zeroes in on the immunological system by infecting and destroying the CD4 cells in the body, certainly the kind of white blood cells necessary for fighting infection.

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What does HIV do to a person?

HIV attacks the immune system, particularly the CD4 cells. To put it another way, it damages these cells over some time, hence hindering the functionality of the human body in fighting infections and diseases.

What’s a retrovirus?

A retrovirus is a type of virus that uses RNA as its genetic material. It replicates by converting its RNA into DNA and integrating it into the host cell's genome, which allows it to replicate and spread.

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Transmission methods: HIV can be transmitted through:

• Unprotected sex
• Needle sharing
• Mother-to-child transmission during childbirth or breastfeeding
• Blood transfusions

Types of HIV

There are two main types of HIV:

• HIV-1: The most common and widespread type.
• HIV-2: Less common and mainly found in West Africa.

Who does HIV affect?

It can affect all age groups, those of both genders. The major routes of transmission of HIV infection are through sexual intercourse and the sharing of needles.

How common is HIV?

HIV is a global health issue, with millions of people living with the virus worldwide. Prevalence varies by region, with sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected area.

What is AIDS?

AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, is the very last and most progressive stage of the HIV infection. This goes on when gene repression has gone so far that the body is invaded by opportunistic infections and some types of cancers.

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How does AIDS develop from untreated HIV?

Without treatment, HIV progresses through several stages, eventually leading to AIDS. The virus continues to replicate and destroy CD4 cells, weakening the immune system over time.

Symptoms of AIDS:

• Persistent fever
• Significant weight loss
• Chronic fatigue
• Recurrent infections

What’s the Difference Between HIV and AIDS?

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a potential virus leading to infection, having an initial onset of the disease in which the symptoms might be very mild or even absent—commonly diagnosed by blood tests that detect the presence of the virus. Treatment is based on antiretroviral therapy, which would help keep the infection under control from further progress.

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The advanced stages, however, are actually what is referred to as AIDS—Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It manifests with very severe symptoms, such as opportunistic infections and cancers. In most cases, a diagnosis of ADS is made in the presence of particular infections or cancers that demand more intensive treatment to manage complications alongside continued ART. progression from HIV to AIDS thus presents a deterioration in health conditions and immune function.

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Symptoms and Causes

HIV symptoms can be very different due to the stage of the infection. Early symptoms are usually mild and easily could be omitted. But without a doubt, early recognition is a key to successful treatment.

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Early symptoms of HIV

• Fever: raised temperature, persistent and very often one of the first symptoms of HIV infection.

• Chills: recurrent episodes of shaking chills.

• Rash: may occur in the early stage of HIV infection

• Night sweats: typically an intense sweating during the night that soaks bedclothes.

• Muscle aches: generalised body pain.

• Sore throat: persistent throat pain in the absence of an obvious cause.

• Fatigue: debilitating and persistent sense of exhaustion which is not relieved after a night's rest.

• Swollen lymph nodes: widespread lymphadenopathy, particularly the neck and armpits.

What are the stages of HIV?

HIV infection can be divided into three stages, corresponding to specific characteristics and conditions for the patient's health.

• Acute HIV Infection

Timeline: It develops 2–4 weeks after HIV infection.

Symptoms: Shows up with flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. It is also known as the primary HIV infection stage, or the acute retroviral syndrome.

Virus activity: The virus replicates very quickly, and HIV blood levels are high.

• Chronic HIV Infection

Timeline: This can go on for several years, up to ten or even fifteen years

Symptoms: HIV is still active, although it multiplies at very low levels. In this stage, there may be no symptoms or just mild ones. The virus keeps destroying the immune system.

Virus activity: Without treatment, HIV weakens and kills the CD4 cells, resulting in a low count.

• AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)

Timeline: It is the final stage of the HIV infection.

Symptoms: These opportunistic infections are, however, due to a concurrent immune system collapse, with other serious symptoms—prolonged fever, unexplained weight loss, chronic fatigue, and recurrent infections—emerging.

One's immune system is severely affected, the CD4 cells are less than 200 cells/cubic millimetre of blood, and opportunistic infections, and some malignancies may infect the body under this stage.

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How HIV/AIDS is transmitted?

HIV is transmitted from one person to another via the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

The main modes of transmission of HIV include:

• Unprotected sex: sex without using condoms or other barrier methods

• Needle sharing: Using the syringes or needles used by a person with HIV that have traces of their blood.

• Mother-to-child transmission: At the time of birth or through breastfeeding

• HIV in blood products: through blood products from infected blood, although this is rare in places where there are tight blood-screening procedures.

HIV is transmitted through direct contact with the key bodily fluids of an infected individual. These fluids include:

• Blood

• Semen

• Vaginal fluid

• Anus fluid

• Breast milk

Can HIV be transmitted through Kisses?

Kissing does not usually transmit HIV. There are very few amounts of the virus in saliva that it is not enough to infect. For it to be transmitted through kissing, there must be visible blood, for example, through open sores or bleeding gums.

How do I know whether I have HIV?

You can only be sure whether you have HIV through testing. Early diagnosis is the core aspect of proper management and treatment of the virus.

Tests are done through:

• Antibody tests: can only detect the antibodies developed upon exposure to the virus

• Antigen/antibody tests: they can detect the antigens and the antibodies

• Nucleic acid tests (NATs): they can detect the genetic material of the virus.

Positive results in the test can significantly improve treatment since it will help prevent the infection from transitioning to AIDS, thus increasing the quality of life of the infected individual.

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Pathophysiology of HIV and AIDS

How HIV Infects Cells and Replicates?

This infection process and the eventual replication of the virus begin when HIV uses CD4 and, in some people, T-helper cells of the human immune system.

Infection and Replication:

Attachment: The HIV fuses with the CD4 receptors on T-helper cells. It is facilitated by co-receptors, usually CCR5 or CXCR4.

Entry: The cell membrane fuses and viral RNA, as well as enzymes, can get inside the host cell.

Inside the host cell, HIV uses the reverse transcriptase enzymes to synthesize its single-stranded RNA into double-stranded DNA.

The newly replicated DNA of the virus is also delivered inside the nucleus of the CD4 cell, where it becomes integrated into the cellular genome of the host by another viral enzyme called integrase.

Replication: After integrating itself into the host's genome, the viral DNA now utilizes the machinery of the host cell to be able to make new viral RNA and proteins. The new proteins and RNA are assembled into new viral particles.

Budding and Maturation: Newly formed viral particles are released from the host cell. When the particles emerge from the cell, an extension of the cell membrane surrounds the viral particles. In the process, a viral enzyme known as protease matures by cleaving the viral proteins into mature, infectious new viruses.

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How is the Immune System Compromised Over Time?

HIV continues to replicate itself, and with each replication cycle, it kills some number of CD4 cells. The following are the processes by which the immune system is compromised:

CD4 Cell Depletion: The virus directly kills infected CD4 cells and causes apoptosis (programmed cell death) in uninfected bystander cells.

Immune Activation and Exhaustion: Chronic HIV infection leads to continuous immune activation, making the immune system cells on their toes all the time, which eventually kills and exhausts them.

Disruption of Immune Network: Thus, HIV kills CD4 cells, which are important for the coordination of immune responses, thus destroying the very immune defence.

Increased Risk for Infections: With the decline of CD4 cell numbers, the body is more exposed to opportunistic infections and several cancers that the immune system would otherwise control.

HIV to AIDS progression

The progression from HIV to AIDS is a gradual process in which the immune system deteriorates severely.

Chronic HIV infection: HIV can destroy CD4 cells and circulate in the body over many years if not treated.

Critical CD4 Cell Count: A critical range for the proper functioning of the immune system is usually considered between 500 and 1,500 CD4 cells per cubic millimetre of blood. During HIV infection, the concentration decreases below 200 cells/mm³.

Opportunistic Infections and Cancers: When the CD4 count falls below the critical level, the body can no longer prevent such opportunistic infections as pneumocystis pneumonia and tuberculosis, or some cancers, such as Kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma.

AIDS Diagnosis: The diagnosis of AIDS occurs when the CD4 cell count of an individual decreases below 200 cells/mm³ and/or they develop one or more opportunistic infections or cancers.

Transmission and Prevention of HIV

The virus can be spread through contact with various infected person's body liquids, including blood, semen and breast milk. The main methods of HIV transmission include:

• Unprotected sexual contact

It can be transmitted through unprotected sexual contact with an infected person. This is the most common method of transmission of HIV worldwide.

• Sharing Needles

This is the injection of drugs with a previously used needle or syringe, tattooing, or body piercing. The method involves direct contact with the person's blood; therefore, the risk of transmission is high.

• Mother-to-Child Transmission

HIV can be transmitted to an infant through an infected pregnant woman during childbirth or breastfeeding.

• Blood Transfusions

Transfusion of HIV-infected blood.

Preventions

Preventing HIV infection involves a combination of safe practices, regular testing, and medical interventions.

• Safe Injection Practices: This includes ensuring needles and syringes are sterile and not shared.

• Regular HIV Testing and Timely Treatment: Regular testing for HIV empowers people to know their status and access early treatment if necessary.

Living with HIV

• When one is living with HIV, they have to be consistent in their care; they have to take their antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication daily to control the virus and attend regular health check-ups to monitor their health status.

• All people with HIV need to use protection during sexual activity, avoid sharing needles, encourage partners to get tested, and consider PrEP or PEP if needed to prevent the spread of HIV.

• Adherence to antiretroviral treatment and regular health monitoring are key elements in the management of HIV infection.

• Support groups and counselling may help one cope with the emotional difficulties of living with HIV and adjust to stigma. Educating others about HIV and knowing their legal protections can also contribute to a healthier and more supportive environment.

Global Impact of HIV and AIDS

• There are over 38 million people in the world infected with the virus, living with HIV/AIDS, and for each one of them, the toll is global.

• Sub-Saharan Africa has the greatest number of cases per head in comparison with other parts of the world. Fortunately, a lot of headway has been made in terms of reducing the rate of new infections and deaths through comprehensive prevention, treatment, and support programs.

• HIV/AIDS continues to disproportionately affect developing regions, however, because of several socio-economic factors, including limited access to care, education, and other resources. Efforts to right these imbalances will remain critical in a general sense towards global goals to end the epidemic.

Conclusion

In summary, an understanding of the differences between HIV and AIDS, as well as the symptoms, modes of transmission, and prevention methodologies, will greatly help in dealing with this worldwide public health menace. Education and awareness are key elements in the fight against the transmission of HIV and the well-being of those living with the virus. Through education and the promotion of preventive measures, we can look forward to a future without the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

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