HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is the spectrum of disease caused by human immunodeficiency virus, from acute infection through immune-system damage to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

HIV life cycle: The stages by which HIV enters a host cell, copies its genetic material, and produces new virus particles. Its stages explain how infection becomes established and damages immune defenses.
HIV testing: Laboratory and point-of-care methods used to detect HIV infection. Different tests detect antibodies, antigens, or viral material at different stages.
Origin of HIV: The evolutionary emergence of human immunodeficiency viruses from related simian viruses in African primates. Cross-species transmission explains the beginnings of human HIV infections.
ACT UP: An activist organization founded in 1987 to demand action on the AIDS crisis. Its direct action changed public debate and accelerated access to treatment.
HIV infection: The presence of human immunodeficiency virus in the body, whether or not symptoms are present. HIV infection can exist for years without meeting criteria for AIDS.
CD4 T cell: A white blood cell that coordinates immune responses and serves as a principal target of HIV. HIV depletion of these cells is central to progression toward AIDS.
Antiretroviral therapy: Treatment using medicines that suppress HIV replication and preserve immune function. Consistent therapy can prevent AIDS and reduce HIV to undetectable levels.
Simian immunodeficiency virus: A group of related viruses that infect African primates and are ancestral to human HIV strains. Its diversity and geography help trace HIV’s animal origins.
Ryan White CARE Act: A United States federal program established in 1990 to support HIV care and treatment services. It created a major public funding framework for people with HIV.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: The advanced stage of HIV infection defined by severe immune suppression or specified illnesses. AIDS is one stage of the spectrum, not a synonym for all HIV infection.

Linked from 18 pages