FAQ & RESOURCES > Living with HIV/AIDS

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What is the treatment for HIV/AIDS?
How does HIV/AIDS affect the body?
What are the symptoms of HIV/AIDS?
What are opportunistic infections?
Are opportunistic infections contagious?
Will I have to change the way I eat because I am being treated for HIV?
How will HIV affect my sex life?
My partner is also HIV-positive. Do we still need to use condoms?
Is there anything I can do about changes in my body shape?
How can HIV transmission be prevented?

What is the treatment for HIV/AIDS?

Although there is no cure for HIV or AIDS, medications called antiretrovirals can help stop the growth and reproduction of the virus, lower the amount of HIV in the body and treat symptoms. Some classes of antiretroviral medications include:

• NRTIs and NtRTIs: nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors or nucleoside analogues
• NNRTIs: non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
• Integrase inhibitors
• PIs: protease inhibitors
• Entry inhibitors

NRTIs, NtRTIs, NNRTIs, integrase inhibitors and PIs work to stop HIV from multiplying once it has infected a T-cell.

Entry inhibitors work to prevent the virus from entering healthy cells.

The recommended treatment for HIV/AIDS is a combination of three or more of these medications, which is called Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, or HAART. Sometimes called "cocktails," these medication combinations work to reduce the amount of HIV in the body for an extended period of time.

Goals of combination HIV medication therapy include:

• Lowering the amount of HIV in the body to levels that are undetectable
• Preserving the body's ability to fight off infection
• Improving quality of life
• Limiting health problems that develop as a result of HIV/AIDS
• Prolonging life

There is no single treatment plan for treating HIV/AIDS. Medication therapy is tailored to each individual, and it will be important for you to work with your healthcare provider to determine what works best for you.

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How does HIV/AIDS affect the body?

Once HIV enters a person's body, it remains there and seeks out, infects and hijacks the body's CD4 cells, also known as the T-cells. These white blood cells normally help fight infection and are important for the body's immune system. When HIV takes over a cell, it causes the cell to produce more copies of the virus that, in turn, infect other healthy cells in the body.

A healthy person has between about 500 and 1,600 T-cells. When an infected person's T-cell count drops below 200 cells/mm³ and the immune system becomes weakened, HIV becomes classified as AIDS. When this happens, the body is not able to fight other infections and diseases.

A person with AIDS can become severely ill after being exposed to what would be a minor illness for a healthy person. These illnesses are called opportunistic infections, and they can sometimes become life-threatening. Roughly 90 percent of all AIDS-related deaths are due to complications from infections.

People with AIDS are also more likely to develop aggressive forms of cancer, especially those related to viral infection or immune system suppression. Kaposi's sarcoma, cancers affecting the cervix and anus, and cancers of the immune system, known as lymphomas, are most common. These cancers are usually more difficult to treat in people with AIDS.

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What are the symptoms of HIV/AIDS?

Many people with HIV have no symptoms when they are first infected. Some experience a flu-like illness within a few weeks after being exposed to the virus. They might experience headache, fever, fatigue, sore throat, enlarged lymph nodes or a rash. These symptoms go away after a few weeks and are often mistaken for another viral infection. During this time, HIV is more easily spread from one person to another.

More serious symptoms may not appear for as many as 10 years after HIV infection in adults or within two years in children born with HIV infection. This time varies greatly from person to person and depends on factors such as:

• A person's health status
• Health-related behaviors
• Adherence to medication therapy as prescribed by the healthcare provider

As the virus weakens the immune system, several symptoms may begin to appear. People who are HIV-positive may experience these and other symptoms months to years before the onset of AIDS.

One of the first symptoms to appear in many people infected with HIV is enlarged lymph nodes, or swollen glands, in the armpit, neck or groin, which can remain enlarged for several months. Other symptoms include:

• Diarrhea that lasts longer than a week
• Persistent or frequent yeast infections (oral or vaginal)
• Dry cough
• Frequent fevers and night sweats
• Frequent, severe herpes infections that cause mouth, genital or anal sores
• Memory loss or depression
• Neurological disorders, such as neuromuscular weakness
• Persistent skin rashes or flaky skin
• Pneumonia
• Rapid weight loss
• Shingles, a painful skin rash caused by a virus
• Unexplained fatigue or tiredness; a lack of energy
• In women, untreatable pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the reproductive organs
• In children, delayed development or "failure to thrive," a delay in the child's physical growth and weight gain that can lead to delays in development and maturation

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What are opportunistic infections?

Opportunistic infections are caused by microorganisms that do not usually cause disease in healthy immune systems. In a person with HIV or AIDS, a weakened immune system presents an "opportunity" for the pathogen to infect.

Common opportunistic infections include:

• Bacterial infections: tuberculosis, salmonellosis
• Fungal infections: candidiasis (oral thrush), histoplasmosis
• Mycobacterium avium complex or MAC
• Parasitic infections: toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidium
• Pneumonias: bacterial pneumonia, Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia or PCP
• Viral infections: cytomegalovirus, herpes, hepatitis, Epstein-Barr, genital warts, molluscum contagiosum

Children with HIV/AIDS may also experience severe forms of the bacterial infections to which children are especially prone, including conjunctivitis (pink eye), ear infections and tonsillitis.

Opportunistic infections can produce many symptoms:

• Abdominal cramps
• Confusion and forgetfulness
• Coughing
• Difficult or painful swallowing
• Extreme fatigue
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Lack of coordination
• Nausea
• Seizures
• Severe and persistent diarrhea
• Severe headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Vision loss
• Vomiting
• Weight loss

These symptoms may be related to other illnesses. Only an HIV blood test can confirm whether they are linked to HIV or AIDS.

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Are opportunistic infections contagious?

Opportunistic infections commonly acquired by people with AIDS usually do not pose a threat to someone with a healthy immune system. Usually, these infections are caused by certain bacteria, viruses and other organisms commonly found in the environment. A healthy immune system can defend against these infections. However, a person with a severe illness or weakened immune system can be at risk for opportunistic infections.

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Will I have to change the way I eat because I am being treated for HIV?

If you previously had a poor diet, it's important to eat healthy, exercise regularly and get enough sleep to help the body manage HIV infection.

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How will HIV affect my sex life?

Having HIV or being on HIV medication should not affect your ability to have sex, but you will have to take precautions to prevent transmitting HIV to others. Almost all sexual activity carries some risk of transmitting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Even if HIV is undetectable in your blood, the virus can still be found in body fluids such as preseminal fluid, semen and vaginal secretions.

If you have questions about how to have safer sex, talk to your healthcare provider.

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My partner is also HIV-positive. Do we still need to use condoms?

It is recommended that you still use condoms for all types of vaginal and anal sex. People with HIV can be infected with what are called "HIV superinfections," or additional strains of the virus. These superinfections can cause a rise in HIV viral load and/or a decrease in the T-cell count.

More importantly, it's possible to become infected with a drug-resistant strain of the virus, especially if you are taking drugs that are resistant to the virus your partner has. In addition, unprotected sex still puts you at risk for other sexually transmitted infections.

Talk with your healthcare provider about how to have safer sex.

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Is there anything I can do about changes in my body shape?

The loss of fat in the face, arms, legs and buttocks, called lipoatrophy, is noticeable when living with HIV. You can also accumulate fat in places such as the neck, breasts and stomach. This is called lipohypertrophy and the cause is not completely understood, but it is usually linked to changes in your cholesterol and blood fat levels. The current thought is that HIV itself is responsible for some of these body shape changes. Some older medications used to treat HIV were thought to worsen fat loss, and switching to different medications may help improve the condition.

Studies have shown that following a healthy diet low in fats and carbohydrates, combined with regular exercise, can reduce some extra fat. If you're concerned about your appearance, talk to your healthcare provider.

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How can HIV transmission be prevented?

Whether or not you have already tested positive for HIV, keep these points in mind:

• Practice safer sex. Using latex condoms during all types of sexual contact can lower the risk of transmitting the virus from one person to another. For information on safer sex practices, talk to your healthcare provider, call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National AIDS Hotline at 800-342-AIDS (2437) or visit the web site.
• Know the sexual history and the HIV status of every partner.
• Do not share needles.
• Always wear latex gloves if you must come in contact with another person's blood and wash your hands immediately after any exposure.
• Do not share razors, toothbrushes or other household items that may increase the likelihood of coming in contact with blood.

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Information provided here does not constitute professional medical advice. Although it is intended to be accurate, neither Walgreen Co., its subsidiaries or affiliates, nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage due to reliance on this material. If you have a medical question, consult your medical professional.