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HIV and AIDS
What Is AIDS?
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which kills or impairs cells of the immune system and progressively destroys the body's ability to fight infections and certain cancers. HIV is most commonly spread by sexual contact with an infected partner.
The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of an HIV infection. Official criteria for the definition of AIDS are developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is responsible for tracking the spread of AIDS in the United States. The 2008 CDC definition of AIDS includes all HIV-infected people who have fewer than 200 CD4+ T cells (healthy adults usually have CD4+ T-cell counts of 800 or more). In addition, the definition includes HIV-infected people who have been diagnosed with one or more of 26 clinical conditions (opportunistic infections) that affect people with advanced HIV disease.
According to the CDC, in 2010 more than 1.1 million persons aged 13 years and older were living with an HIV infection in the United States including 207,600 (18%) who were unaware of their infection. An estimated 2.7 million new HIV infections occurred worldwide during 2007, which equates to about five new infections every minute. This indicates that the AIDS epidemic still rages out of control. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at the end of 2008, there were 33.4 million people living with AIDS globally.
External resources
- AIDS.gov
- The Body
- Traveling with AIDS
- HIV/AIDS and Skin Conditions
- American Social Health Association
- HIV/AIDS Education and Resource Center
- Department of Human and Health Services Guidelines - Comprehensive HIV guidelines including antiretrovirals for adults, children, and pregnant women, occupational and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis, and OI treatment and prophylaxis).
- International Antiviral Society-USA Panel Guidelines for Treatment of Adult HIV Infection
- HIV Web Study - Case-based website on common HIV treatment issues designed by University of Washington faculty. Site has very practical information on management of HIV related issues and excellent photos and graphics geared towards non-HIV specialist.
- Hepatitis Web Study - Case-based website on common hepatitis treatment issues. Site has very practical information on management of hepatitis related issues and excellent photos and graphics.
- Clinical Care Options Link provides useful review articles on HIV-related issues and updates on recently published HIV literature, cases, etc; geared towards HIV specialists.
- HIV Drug Interactions - Link explores possible drug interactions between NNRTIs, PIs and many commonly prescribed classes of medication; site is somewhat limited in interpreting significance of each interaction.
- Stanford Genotype Database - Website provides useful interpretations of genotypic resistance assays; clicking on the hivdb link on home page allows one to enter in mutations and the website will list how each mutation will likely affect the efficacy of different HIV medications.
- University of California at San Francisco HIV Website - Excellent on-line textbook; provides comprehensive review of medical complications of HIV.
Clinical Trials for HIV and AIDS
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.
Open trials refer to studies currently accepting participants. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.
Clinics for HIV and AIDS
HIV and AIDS
HIV/AIDS is transmitted through sexual contact, pregnancy, contact with infected blood and attacks the immune system, decreasing the ability to fight infection.
HIV and AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection