Can AIDS be cured?

WHO reported 38 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide in 2019 and 690,000 people died of HIV-related illnesses worldwide in 2019.

Do you think AIDS can be cured? Well, it would be nice if I can be cured... but so far, only one person got fully cured. Then why is it so hard to cure AIDS?

What is different from HIV and AIDS?

AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV. AIDS is the condition when HIV infection gets worse.HIV infects cells called helper T cells. Helper T cells are types of white blood cells that help to protect the body against bacterial and fungal infections.

How HIV transmit?

HIV transmit by exchanges of bodily fluid, unprotected sex, and contaminated needles.HIV does not transmit by air, water or casual contact. Most HIV infections occur among gay and bisexual men. (Number of HIV infection: Male-to-male sexual contact>Heterosexual sexual contact>Female-to-female sexual contact) The risk of female-to-female sexual transmission is extremely low. Gay or bisexual men have increased risk of HIV because of more frequency of having anal sex.

Scientists have estimated that the average HIV transmission rate during anal sex is 18 times higher than the rate during vaginal intercourse. The risk of acquiring HIV during an act of unprotected anal intercourse is estimated to be 1.4%

HIV is a retrovirus. Retrovirus can write its genetic code into the genome of infected cells, co-opting them into making more copies of itself. ( You can read more about how retrovirus works at here)

What symptoms do patients have?

The first stage of HIV infections: Flu-like symptoms, not dangerous yet (the virus replicates within helper T cells, destroying many of them)

For a period ranging from a few months to several years: the patient may look and feel healthy (the virus continues to replicate and destroy T cells)

HIV infection to AIDS: when T cell counts drop too low, patients are in danger of contracting deadly infections that healthy immune systems can normally handle. Then, the patients will have swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, fever, diarrhoea and cough.

The patients are getting weaker and weaker immune system gradually. Patients will be life-threatened with simple infection because their immune system can not protect the virus or disease as the normal immune system does.

How does the medicine work?

HIV can be controlled by using a combination of 3 or more ARV (antiretroviral drugs). However, ART (standard antiretroviral therapy) cannot cure HIV infections but it can suppress viral replication within a person's body. Also, they can stop the progression of HIV disease. This can make their immune system to recover and less likely to infect others. As I mentioned, HIV infections cannot be cured, people have to take the medication for the rest of their lives.

Why it is hard to cure?

HIV hides inside the DNA of healthy T cells. Most T cells die after getting infected but some HIV lies dormant in the cells. If the patients stop taking their medicine, infected T cells could activate and start spreading the virus again.

Side effects of the medicine

As HIV medicines continue to improve, it causes fewer side effects than old HIV medicines. There are different types of medicine and not every patient has the same side effects with the same medicine. Hence, if the patients have severe side effects, they need to seek help from a healthcare provider.

Examples of side effects: appetite loss, lipodystrophy (to lose or gain fat in certain body areas), diarrhoea, fatigue, higher than normal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, mood changes, depression, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, rash, trouble sleeping, and more

However, there is more benefit than harms.

References

Elizabeth Boskey, PhD. “Understanding Why Gay Men Have an Increased Risk of HIV.” Verywell Health, www.verywellhealth.com/why-do-gay-men-have-an- increased-risk-of-hiv-3132782.

“HIV/AIDS.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 28 July 2020, www.who.int/gho/hiv/en/.

“HIV/AIDS.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids.

Pebody, Roger. “Female-to-Female Sexual Transmission of HIV.” Aidsmap.com, 1 July 2019, www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/female-female-sexual-transmission-hiv.

Watson, Stephanie. “Antiretroviral HIV Drugs: Side Effects and Adherence.” Healthline, 24 Apr. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/antiretroviral-drugs-side-effects-adherence.