A 32-year-old member asked:

What is hiv?

16 doctor answers33 doctors weighed in
Dr. Pam Yoder
Specializes in Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Top resource for HIV: People in north america wanting basic and advanced information about the disease HIV or aids, diagnosis and treatment, resources, caregiving and prevention should start with this from the cdc: http://www.Cdc.Gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.Htm#hiv.
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Dr. Yash Khanna
Family Medicine 59 years experience
HIV: Hiv is short for human immune deficiency virus.This is the virus which causes aids.And it is trasmitted by IV drug use and sharing needles and by having sex with a partner who is infected with the virus.
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Dr. Steven Hill
Family Medicine 25 years experience
Hiv: Human immunodeficiency virus which is the virus which causes aids.
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Dr. David Rosenthal
Allergy and Immunology 23 years experience
A virus: Human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that weakens the immune system. Proper treatment can control/contain the virus. Untreated patients can develop aids after years. Hiv testing is fast and easy. If you have any question about being exposed to hiv, it is best to be tested.
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Dr. Robert Killian
General Practice 30 years experience
HIV: Important!!!: Hiv means the human immunosuppresive virus. This is the virus that causes aids. It is transmitted through blood, semen and other bodily fluids, usually in a sexual context or through sharing needles and other drug paraphernalia in illicit drug use. Early in the aids epidemic this was also transmitted from mother to fetus and in blood transfusions or other blood products.
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Dr. Thomas Heston
Family Medicine 31 years experience
Infection: Hiv infection is a condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (hiv). The condition gradually destroys the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infections. See: http://goo.Gl/bgg3y.
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Dr. Thomas Heston
Family Medicine 31 years experience
Infection: Hiv infection is a condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (hiv). The condition gradually destroys the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infections. See: http://goo.Gl/bgg3y.
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Dr. Dominic Riganotti
A Verified Doctoranswered
Infectious Disease 27 years experience
AIDS.gov: H – human – this particular virus can only infect human beings. I – immunodeficiencyHIV weakens your immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. A "deficient" immune system can't protect you. V – virus – a virus can only reproduce itself by taking over a cell in the body of its host.
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Dr. Martin Raff
Infectious Disease 58 years experience
HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus is the cause of aids. Primarily sexually transmitted or by other forms of direct tissue transfer (blood transfusion, needle sharing, etc.) it attacks a type of t-lymphocyte and slowly reduces the numbers, making one susceptible to infections and cancers we would not otherwise acquire. If you may have been exposed, go and get tested.
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Dr. Martin Raff
Infectious Disease 58 years experience
HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus is the cause of aids. Primarily sexually transmitted or by other forms of direct tissue transfer (blood transfusion, needle sharing, etc.) it attacks a type of t-lymphocyte and slowly reduces the numbers, making one susceptible to infections and cancers we would not otherwise acquire. If you may have been exposed, go and get tested.
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Dr. Manel Silva
Internal Medicine 19 years experience
Human immunodeficien: cy virus. It's a virus transmitted through blood, semen and vaginal secretions by sex, sharing needles and giving birth. The virus attacks the immune system so you're not able to fight infections, and causes inflammation inside your body which can lead to chronic diseases. Medications called ARV's trap HIV inside cells so it can't spread and to help boost immunity. More info: http://bit.ly/1J61Fe7
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Dr. Gurmukh Singh
Pathology 51 years experience
A virus: HIV stands for "human immunodeficiency virus". You may consult the website listed below for more information on this topic. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/index.html
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Dr.
A Verified Doctoranswered
A US doctor answeredLearn more
HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV/AIDS weakens a person's ability to fight infections. It is contracted through unprotected sex or needle sharing. An HIV test confirms diagnosis. Medications may suppress the virus and delay the onset of AIDS. http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/
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Dr. Robert Kwok
Pediatrics 35 years experience
Bad contagious virus: The HIV virus (it causes AIDS) attacks and destroys a critical white blood cell of the immune system: the "CD4+ T-helper" cell. With these cells knocked out, the body's immune system is crippled and left unable to fight off infections which would ordinarily be easily handled by a normal immune system. The patient gets AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
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Dr. Hunter Handsfield
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
HIV: The topic tags you selected suggest you already know that HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus, the cause of AIDS. Anything beyond that is far too complex for a forum like this. Google HIV for tons of information.
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Dr. Kathleen Mullane
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
See HIV specialist: Studies show us that HIV specialists do a better job managing patients with HIV than those who do not routinely care for those infected. You will need a good history and physical, be evaluated and treated for other std's/opportunistic infections/malignancies, have a genotype to see if you have a resistant virus, have baseline CD4 count ; HIV viral load, and discuss treatment options. Now!
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Similar questions

A male asked about a male:

What are the sintoms for hiv?

1 doctor answer2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Chirag Vasa
Infectious Disease 29 years experience
Depends: Hiv symptoms varies. From asymptomatic to various symptoms . General symptom may be in beginning of acquisition of disease like mono. Than recurrent pneumonia , infection , certain opportunistic infections and malignancy. You may need to go to cdc website for further info or see your doctor for personal visit so get more educated on this. Always remember protection is the key to prevent it.
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A 31-year-old member asked:

How is HIV transmitted?

2 doctor answers3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Joel Gallant
Infectious Disease 38 years experience
Sex, blood and birth: Sex, blood contact (e.g. Shared needles), or perinatal transmission (from an infected mother to an infant at birth). In terms of sexual transmission, the biggest risk is anal or vaginal intercourse, especially for the receptive partner (the one "on the bottom").
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A 41-year-old member asked:

Can HIV be cured?

2 doctor answers4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Edward Junn
Emergency Medicine 35 years experience
Almost: Today's medical regimen has vastly improved lives of patients with aids to the point where they can lead normal lives - a good example is magic johnson. It is not a cure but the HIV can be managed. We are still working on a vaccine.
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A 36-year-old member asked:

How is HIV spread?

1 doctor answer4 doctors weighed in
Dr. David Rosenthal
Allergy and Immunology 23 years experience
Several ways...: "hiv is the virus that causes aids. It can be spread through unprotected sex (vaginal, anal, or oral sex) with someone who has hiv; contact with hiv-infected blood by sharing needles (piercing, tattooing, drug equipment, including needles); by hiv-infected pregnant women to their infants during pregnancy or delivery, or by breast feeding." http://www.Health.Ny.Gov/publications/9678/index.Htm.
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A 32-year-old member asked:

Can i cure my hiv?

2 doctor answers3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Camilla Graham
Internal Medicine - Infectious Disease 29 years experience
I wish we knew how: We have learned so much about HIV in the last 20+ years, and treatment for HIV is light years ahead of where we were even 15 years ago. But, once it integrates into cells' dna, we do not know how to dislodge it yet, so we do not know how to cure it. But the medications available today are highly effective, simpler to take, have low side effects, and should provide a near-normal life expectancy.
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Last updated May 24, 2020

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