EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV weakens your immune system by destroying your T-cells until you are unable to fight off even minor illnesses. You can have HIV without any symptoms.

Detailed explanation-2: -Asymptomatic HIV infection is the second stage of HIV/AIDS. During this stage, there are no symptoms of HIV infection. This stage is also called chronic HIV infection or clinical latency. During this stage, the virus keeps multiplying in the body and the immune system slowly weakens, but the person has no symptoms.

Detailed explanation-3: -If you take HIV medicine exactly as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load, you can live and long and healthy life and will not transmit HIV to your HIV-negative partners through sex. But if your viral load is detectable, you can transmit HIV during this stage, even when you have no symptoms.

Detailed explanation-4: -HIV finds the white blood cells, called CD4 cells. HIV gets inside the CD4 cell and makes copies of itself. Then, HIV kills the CD4 cell and the new HIV copies find other CD4 cells to get inside and start the cycle again. HIV kills immune system cells that help the body fight infections and diseases.

Detailed explanation-5: -Without treatment for HIV, advanced disease puts an HIV-positive person at an even greater risk for infectious complications, such as tuberculosis and a fungal infection called pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP). PJP causes trouble breathing, cough, and fever. The risk of lung cancer also increases with HIV.