Lesson 9 - STD's, 123, gotta know, about HIV!!!!!

WHAT THE HECK IS HIV? OR AIDS?

    HIV actually is a acronym which means human immunodefiency virus.
Let's go through the name:
    H- human: this means that it can only affect humans (PRETTY SELF-EXPLANTORY)
    I- immune: this means that it affects the immune system (PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY)
    V- virus: this means that it is a virus (PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY AGAIN)

As you can tell (hopefully) that was PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY!!!!

    Well HIV is a retrovirus (specifically a lentivirus) which affects the immune system.  A retrovirus is a virus that is enveloped and reproduces using reverse transcription in a host cell. It kills off CD4 cells or Helper T-cells. Helper T-cells are VERY VERY VERY important. They help activate B-cells, which help produce antibodies, and other T-cells.
    If they start killing off these Helper T-cells, that means that our body cannot produce antibodies. This causes the immune system to begin failing. When your immune system can barely function on its own, the viral infection is called AIDS.

    AIDS is also an acronym like HIV.
Let's go through the name:
    A-auto: this means that it affects yourself
    I- immune: this means that it affects your immune system
    D- defiency: this means that you have a defiency in your body (in this case being Helper T-cells)
    S- syndrome: a syndrome is a collection of signs and symptoms that are observed in, and characteristic of, a single condition

AIDS occurs after your body has been infected with HIV. It occurs when your body has already started having very severe symptoms.

Primary symptoms of an HIV infection: These symptoms are like flu symptoms.
    -fever
    -headaches
    -muscle aches
    -rash
    -chills
    -sore throat
    -mouth or genital ulcers
    -swollen lymph glands in the cervical (neck) area
    -joint pains
    -night sweats
    -diarrhea

Early symptoms of an HIV infection:
    -fever
    -fatigue
    -swollen lymph nodes
    -diarrhea
    -cough
    -weight loss
    -shortness of breath

Early AIDS symptoms:
    -soaking night sweats
    -shaking chills
    -fevers over 100 F
    -cough
    -shortness of breath
    -chronic diarrhea
    -persistent white spots or lesions on your tongue or in your mouth
    -fatigue
    -distorted or blurred vision
    -weight loss
    -skin rashes or bumps

    Since HIV is a virus, it cannot be cured. There are treatments to inhibit the transition into AIDS, but the best way is abstinence from sex. This is the 100% proved way (besides genetic cause) not to get HIV.

This is the HIV virus in the blood. I hope this post helped you know at least a little about HIV and AIDS.