¿Qué sabemos sobre el VIH y el SIDA?

Main Ideas

History and Overview

In 1981, doctors began noticing unusual infections and cancers—such as opportunistic pneumonias and Kaposi’s sarcoma—especially among people with weakened immune systems. A virus was identified as the cause three years later. In the early years, there was no effective treatment, and misinformation was widespread.

HIV is the virus; AIDS is the advanced stage of HIV disease that can develop if HIV goes untreated for a long time. Having HIV does not automatically mean a person has AIDS.

How HIV Is Transmitted—and How It Is Not

HIV can be present in blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal and rectal fluids, and breast milk. Transmission can occur when these fluids reach a mucous membrane, damaged tissue, or the bloodstream. The main routes described are sex without protection and sharing needles used for injection.

HIV is not transmitted through ordinary contact, such as hugging, touching, sharing food or bathrooms, or using swimming pools or saunas. Mosquitoes do not transmit HIV.

How HIV Affects the Body

HIV infects immune-related cells, especially CD4+ T cells, as well as macrophages and other cell types. The virus converts its RNA into DNA, inserts that DNA into an infected cell’s DNA, and uses the cell to produce more virus.

• Acute phase: The virus multiplies quickly and destroys many CD4 cells. Flu-like symptoms may occur one to two weeks after infection, but can be mistaken for other illnesses.
• Chronic phase: HIV can remain latent in cells while continuing to spread and gradually depleting CD4 cells. Symptoms may take years to appear.
• AIDS: If immune damage becomes severe, the body is vulnerable to opportunistic infections and some cancers. AIDS is described as the final stage of untreated HIV disease.

Treatment and Why a Cure Is Difficult

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) uses a combination of medicines to prevent HIV from replicating. Starting treatment as soon as possible and taking it consistently for life are emphasized.

ART can reduce the virus to an undetectable level, prevent progression to AIDS, and allow people to live well with HIV. People whose viral load is undetectable do not transmit HIV sexually.

Stopping treatment can allow HIV to multiply again. Even when tests cannot detect the virus, latent reservoirs may remain in cells. HIV is difficult to cure because it replicates rapidly and mutates, which can lead to drug resistance. Combination therapy targets the virus at different stages.

Rare cures have followed intensive cancer treatment and bone-marrow transplants from donors with a mutation in the CCR5 receptor. This procedure is high-risk, and the mutation can have drawbacks.

Research approaches discussed include:

• “Shock and kill”: Reactivate latent HIV so it can be targeted.
• “Block and lock”: Keep HIV permanently dormant in reservoir cells.
• Gene editing: Investigate ways to remove HIV from infected cells or alter CCR5. Further research is needed.

Prevention and Seeking Care

The video’s practical prevention points are:

• Use condoms and do not share needles.
• Be aware that another sexually transmitted infection can increase the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV.
• If you think you may have been exposed, get tested. The video gives a testing schedule of six weeks, three months, and six months after exposure.
• If you have ongoing exposure risk, consider PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is an option that must be started within 72 hours of exposure.
• Seek early diagnosis and treatment. Treatment and care may be available through public services or organizations; the video specifically mentions CIENI’s services in Mexico.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Narrator: Presents the history, transmission information, biology, treatment, cure research, and prevention guidance. No individual narrator is named in the subtitles.
• Center for Research in Infectious Diseases (CIENI/CENI): Credited as a collaborator and described as providing testing, PrEP, clinical care, and research in Mexico. No individual CIENI representative is identified.