Facts about HIV

General facts and about HIV and infection

HIV is a virus that breaks down an important part of the immune system. This makes it difficult for the body to defend itself against diseases and infections.

HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system of the infected person. HIV cannot reproduce without help, which is why HIV places its own genetic material in some of the body’s cells. HIV selects a specific type of cell called CD4 cells, which are an important part of our immune system.

HIV breaks down the immune system
Normally, CD4 cells will make new cells for the immune system, but as HIV places its genetic material in the cell, it will instead produce new HIV that can invade other CD4 cells. As more and more of the immune system’s CD4 cells are busy producing new HIV, there will be fewer cells to alert the immune system.

This means that the immune system is slowly broken down by HIV and the risk of serious complications increases significantly.

Fewer complications

Some of the complications are caused by microorganisms that many people have without realizing it because the microorganisms are kept down by a healthy immune system.

As a result of medical treatment, fewer people with HIV are suffering from serious complications. It has also become possible to prevent or treat several of the complications that were otherwise common among HIV-infected people.

Facts and figures

Why is it called HIV?

HIV is an abbreviation for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

  • Human: means it attacks humans

  • Immunodeficiency: tells what damage viruses do – namely destroying the immune system

  • Virus tells you what type of “attacker” HIV is, namely a virus and not, for example, a bacterium

When you are infected with HIV, you are said to be HIV-infected or HIV-positive.

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