Quick Answer
The main effect of HIV is to infect and progressively destroy CD4 T cells, a type of white blood cell that coordinates the immune response. This damage weakens immunity and, without treatment, can lead to AIDS. Modern antiretroviral therapy can suppress HIV to an undetectable viral load, allowing the immune system to recover and preventing transmission.
- HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus; it is a retrovirus.
- AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection, not the same as HIV.
- Untreated HIV can reduce CD4 counts and allow opportunistic infections.
- Effective antiretroviral therapy can make viral load undetectable.
- Undetectable viral load means no sexual transmission risk, known as U=U.
- HIV is classified as a lentivirus, a slow-acting retrovirus.
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HIV belongs to the Retroviridae family and the lentivirus genus, a group known for slow, persistent infection. After entering the body, HIV uses reverse transcriptase to copy its RNA into DNA, then inserts that DNA into the genetic material of host cells, especially CD4 T cells. This integration lets the virus hide in a latent reservoir and gradually deplete the very cells that organize immune defenses. The resulting immune decline is the core effect; AIDS is the late clinical stage that can follow if the virus is not controlled. Antiretroviral drugs interrupt different steps of this cycle, which is why consistent treatment can hold the virus at undetectable levels.
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Sources & Further Reading
- CDC — Sexually Transmitted Infections
- CDC STI Treatment Guidelines
- WHO — Sexually transmitted infections fact sheet
- MedlinePlus — Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Figures reflect CDC surveillance and WHO estimates; they are population statistics, not personal risk predictions.