What is HIV?

• HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. 
• It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected intercourse , from mother to foetus during pregnancy, or through sharing injection /drug equipment.
• If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). There is currently no effective cure. But with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled.

What is AIDS?

• AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection that occurs when the body’s immune system is badly damaged because of the virus.
• People with AIDS can get an increasing number of opportunistic infections.
  • Opportunistic infections are illnesses that occur more frequently and are more severe in people with HIV. This is because they have damaged immune systems.

Treatments related to HIV

Pre Exposure Prophylaxis

• PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. 
• PrEP can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body.

Post-exposure prophylaxis

• PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) means taking medicine to prevent HIV after a possible exposure. 
• PEP should be used only in emergency situations and must be started within 72 hours after a recent possible exposure to HIV.

Antiretroviral Therapy

• Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is treatment of people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using anti-HIV drugs. 
• The standard treatment consists of a combination of drugs (often called “highly active antiretroviral therapy” or HAART) that suppress HIV replication. 
• The combination of drugs is used in order to increase potency and reduce the likelihood of the virus developing resistance. 
• ART reduces mortality and morbidity rates among HIV-infected people, and improves their quality of life. 
• The benefits of ART also include the prevention of HIV transmission by suppressing HIV replication in persons living with the virus.