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

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) are closely related but different conditions. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, specifically targeting CD4 cells, which help fight infections. If left untreated, HIV can progress to AIDS, the final stage of the infection. This topic is included in the class 12 chapter Human Health and Disease in the subject of Biology. This topic is relevant for exams like NEET and AIIMS BSc Nursing, where questions about HIV/AIDS are asked.

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1. HIV and AIDS
2. What is HIV?
3. What is AIDS?
4. Difference Between HIV and AIDS
5. Recommended Video on the Difference Between HIV and AIDS

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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What is HIV?

HIV is a virus that breaks down the immune system, the CD4 cells, also called T cells play a role in protecting the body from infections. HIV gradually destroys the immune system and thus exposes it to infections and diseases. Left untreated, HIV develops into AIDS, which is termed the last stage of an infection, here, the immune system is completely destroyed. HIV is primarily transmitted through blood, sexual contact, and from mother to child at birth or through breastfeeding.

What is AIDS?

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is the final stage of HIV infection. This usually occurs when a person's immune system has been seriously impaired, leaving their body so open to infections and other cancers. The distressing diseases found in people with AIDS can be fatal due to lost immune function. AIDS can be fatal if not treated. If one is living with HIV, antiretroviral therapy or ART can mitigate it by preventing HIV from turning into AIDS.

Difference Between HIV and AIDS

The major differences between HIV and AIDS are given below:

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.

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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Recommended Video on the Difference Between HIV and AIDS