What is HIV, and is it completely curable?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 28-year-old male. I want to know a few things about HIV. What is HIV? How is it caused? How does it spread to other people? How can we diagnose this? How is it treated? I heard that HIV is not curable, is it true? What happens if kids get affected due to this HIV? Do we have any vaccination to protect kids from getting this HIV infection from elderly people? How does this HIV work inside the body and cause various symptoms? Kindly suggest.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks the immune system, weakening it over time. It spreads through unprotected sex, sharing needles, transfusions with infected blood, or from mother to child during childbirth or breastfeeding. It is diagnosed through blood tests like ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) or rapid tests. HIV is treatable with antiretroviral therapy (ART), which suppresses the virus, but it is not curable.

Children with HIV need early ART for better outcomes. There is no vaccine for HIV, but preventive measures like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and safe practices to reduce the risk. HIV damages immune cells, causing susceptibility to infections and symptoms like fatigue, fever, or weight loss if untreated. Regular monitoring is essential. I hope you find this helpful.

Thank you.