HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that causes AIDS (Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome). According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the HIV virus "may be passed from one person to another when infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions come in contact with an uninfected person’s broken skin or mucous membranes. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their baby during pregnancy or delivery, as well as through breast-feeding. People with HIV have what is called HIV infection. Some of these people will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection."

Clarifying the difference between HIV and AIDS

The immune system is made up of a number of specialized cells in your blood, called white blood cells, that act together to fight off infections. These cells move through your blood vessels and detect and destroy foreign invaders, such as bacteria or viruses.

Unfortunately, the HIV virus attacks a certain type of cell in the immune system called CD4 cells (also known as T cells) and uses them to make more copies of itself, something you may have heard your loved one's doctor call viral replication. T cells recognize foreign invaders and help other cells in the immune system to destroy them.

When HIV attacks CD4 cells to make copies of itself, the amount of virus in the blood (the viral load) goes up while the number of CD4 cells goes down. When this happens, the immune system gets weaker, and a person can’t fight infections and disease as easily. A healthy person normally has 800 to 1200 CD4 cells/mm3, while patients with HIV can have CD4 cell counts as low as 200 cells/mm3. If your loved one's CD4 cell count goes below 200 cells/mm3 or if he or she start to develop infections, then HIV infection has progressed to AIDS.

Statistics

The U.S. epidemic is at least 40 percent larger than previously believed and growing by between 55,000 and 58,000 infections a year.⁽¹⁾

In 2008, CDC estimated that approximately 56,300 people were newly infected with HIV in 2006 (the most recent year that data are available). Over half (53%) of those new infections occurred in gay and bisexual men.(2)

Black Americans represented 45% of people newly infected in 2006, despite being just 13% of the U.S. population.⁽¹⁾

Hipanics/Latinos comprise 15% of the U.S. population, but accounted for 17% of all new HIV infections in 2006.⁽²⁾

In 2006, the estimated number of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the United States and dependent areas was 509,681.⁽²⁾

Globally, there were an estimated 33 million people living with HIV in 2007.⁽³⁾

The fight against HIV/AIDS includes

•        Prevention

•        Testing

•        Nutrition

•        Exercise

•        HIV medications

In 2008, CDC adjusted its estimate of new HIV infections because of new technology and developed by the agency. Before this time, CDC estimated there were roughly 40,000 new HIV infections each year in the United States. New results shows there were dramatic declines in the number of new HIV infections from a peak of about 130,000 in the mid 1980s to a low of roughly 50,000 in the early 1990s. Results also shows that new infections increased in the late 1990s, followed by a leveling off since 2000 at about 55,000 per year. In 2006, an estimated 56,300 individuals were infected with HIV.

AIDS cases began to fall dramatically in 1996, when new drugs became available. Today, more people than ever before are living with HIV/AIDS. CDC estimates that about 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV or AIDS. About one quarter of these people do not know that they are infected: not knowing puts them and others at risk.

This information is intended only as an educational aid and is not intended as medical advice. This information is not intended to discuss information related to your HIV treatment options. As always, talk to your healthcare professionals if you have any questions related to treatment or health status.

Educational, Advocacy and Service Resources

Aids.org

AIDS Action

AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth, and Families

AIDS Education Global Information System

Resistance Testing Information from Resist-HIV.info

AIDSMeds.com

AIDS Treatment Data Network

Association of Nurses in AIDS Care

Black Aids Institute

Elton John AIDS Foundation

Gay Mens Health Crisis

HIVInfo.US

HIVInfo.US

Medscape HIV/AIDS

National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project

National Association of People With AIDS

National Institute of Health AIDS Information

POZ magazine

Project Inform

Resistance Testing Information from Resist-HIV.info

The Body