Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald - Sunday, July 21, 2002
Margaret A. Fischl, M.D.
AIDS describes the complications of life-threatening infections and processes as a result of a severely impaired immune system. The human immunodeficiency virus causes, among several things, progressive destruction of the immune system.
HIV can be identified by blood tests and cultured from the blood or other body tissues. The genetic code for the virus can be detected in people who are HIV positive. Contrary to Werner's statement, "everyone" isn't infected with HIV. Only those individuals infected with HIV test positive for HIV. It remains a critical health-care issue that those at risk for HIV infection continue to be tested.
The major risk for HIV worldwide is through heterosexual transmission. The U.S. epidemic is reflected by two major routes of transmission: men having sex with men and the sharing of HIV-contaminated needles among intravenous drug users. However, the epidemic is increasing among women in the United States. HIV isn't transmitted by aerosolized respiratory secretions. It isn't transmitted like the flu and should be clearly distinguished from sexually transmitted diseases.
HIV slowly damages the immune system, and persons with HIV infection may not know that they have the virus until enough damage is done that they become sick. This again points to the need for HIV testing.
Therapy for HIV targets the virus, blocks its replication and decreases the amount of virus in the body. Suppression of HIV allows the immune system to recover slowly. This is most dramatic among patients whose immune systems have been severely damaged, as in full-blown AIDS.
With a healthy immune system, the complications and ravages of AIDS are held at bay. This has had a dramatic impact on the quality of life of patients with HIV/AIDS. It has improved survival, a fact documented throughout medical literature.
The progress in understanding HIV/AIDS over the past few decades has been commendable. Early in the epidemic, tens of thousands of patients at our medical center died as we struggled to understand HIV and find treatments. This no longer happens.
Margaret A. Fischl, M.D.
On behalf of the staff at the UM School of Medicine AIDS Clinical Research Unit, Miami
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Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2002. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
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