Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs) are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Without treatment, the average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype.
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HIV is a virus that gradually damages the immune system, eventually leading to AIDS, a condition where the body becomes vulnerable to dangerous infections and cancers. Without treatment, people with HIV typically survive 9 to 11 years after infection, which is why early detection and medical care are important.
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Article
21 sectionsContents
- Virology
- Classification
- Structure and genome
- Tropism
- <span id="Replication cycle">Replication cycle</span>
- Entry to the cell
- Replication and transcription
- Recombination
- Assembly and release
- Spread within the body
- Genetic variability
- Diagnosis
- Research
- Treatment and transmission
- History
- Origins
- Discovery
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs) are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Without treatment, the average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype.
In most cases, HIV is a sexually transmitted infection and occurs by contact with or transfer of blood, pre-ejaculate, semen, and vaginal fluids. Non-sexual transmission can occur from an infected mother to her infant during pregnancy, during childbirth by exposure to her blood or vaginal fluid, and through breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. Research has shown (for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples) that HIV is not contagious during sexual intercourse without a condom if the HIV-positive partner has a consistently undetectable viral load.