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III. Pathophysiology .
HIV is a virus that dangers human immune cells. It weakens the immune system and will lead most infected people to develop AIDS if they do not get treatment. HIV infects the cells of a living organism in order to make new copies of itself. HIV is found in blood and other bodily fluids. It cannot live long outside the body, so to be infected with HIV a person must exchange some body fluid from an infected person for the virus to get inside the person's body. The virus can enter the body through contact with the bloodstream. The three most common ways to transfer HIV are through sexual contact, perinatal exposure, and intravenous drug use. You cannot get HIV through kissing, sneezing, coughing, sharing glasses/cup, or insects bites (Gordon et al., 2013).
IV. Diagnosis.
Modern HIV testing is very accurate. HIV testing has evolved through four generations of testing. The first testing for HIV became available in 1985. Since the first test, each generation has improved the specificity or the sensitivity of HIV testing or both. The most commonly performed HIV test are Elisa, western blot, HIV nucleic acid amplification test, indirect fluorescent antibody, and rapid antibody test. An antibody test may use blood, mucosal or oral fluid, or urine for detection (Gordon et al., 2013). From the point of initial exposure, an infection can occur in less than three weeks and for detection of antibodies is approximately 25 days. Without treatment, people who are diagnosed with AIDS usually live about three years. People with AIDS need medical treatment to prevent death (CDC, 2015).
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V. Symptoms.
HIV presents in three stages from asymptomatic to critically ill. Patterns of physiological, behavioral, and psychological changes are unique to each individual. All patients are evaluated on an individual basis to assess effects and development of the disease. Some patients with HIV are asymptomatic; many develop a viral infection within a month of exposure.