A lot of people all over the world are contaminated with and struggling with HIV. Many of us are continuously cautioned about HIV however we are seldom actually told what happens when we contract HIV. If you want to know what HIV really does to you then you may want to read on.
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. The actual name is kind of self explanatory. Let us take a closer look.
Human would imply that the virus just infects people. This is true. Although the virus is believed to have originated from primates within Africa it mutated when it came into connection with people and now just infects people. There's a disease referred to as feline HIV however this isn't exactly the same virus.
It's the immunodeficiency portion of the name that lets you know how HIV will affect you. As it is a virus it needs other cells to replicate. It cannot reproduce without the cellular material supplied by the CD4 cells of the human immune system. This cell is a crucial portion of each of our immune systems. As the virus breeds it uses up more and more of those cells and finally your own immune system is not able to sustain the necessary rate of production to keep your immune system in working order as well as your disease fighting capability becomes less efficient.
Once this happens you feel vulnerable to an array of other diseases as your immune system is not able to combat the actual bacteria and viruses that cause these other illnesses. It is these types of ailments, most commonly tuberculosis and pneumonia, that kill a person in the long run, not really HIV itself.
This is why there is a difference between having HIV and having AIDS. AIDS is the state in which the body is no longer able to safeguard itself from the other viruses and bacteria within the atmosphere. You can be HIV positive but show no effects for a long time. The actual duration of this particular apparently dormant period will depend on the activity of the virus and the strength of your defense mechanisms. Some people are lucky and the virus that they are infected with does not cause enough damage to weaken their own defense mechanisms. They can still pass on the virus to many other people though who might not be so lucky.
As I am certain you know, HIV is actually passed along through the exchange of body fluids. Particularly body fluids that contain the CD4 cells. Spit, for example, doesn't contain sufficient live cells to transmit the condition however breast milk may.
If you're still wondering whether HIV is harmful or otherwise you have clearly not been paying much attention. There is no cure for HIV at present and when you have the virus in your body it is only a matter of time. It may take many years, however the virus can get you in the end. Rather be safe and avoid intercourse with people who are HIV positive or even getting into contact with the body fluids of a person whose status you do not know.
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