HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that is transmitted through blood and unprotected sexual contact and can settle in various tissues of the body but shows its main effects on the immune system. HIV basically destroys white blood cells called CD4+ T lymphocytes (CD4 cells for short), suppressing the immune system and leaving the body vulnerable to infections. As a result, diseases such as tuberculosis, diarrhea, meningitis, and pneumonia, which can be treated under normal conditions, cause serious damage to the body, and in some cases, cancers can be seen.
Today, drugs developed for HIV prevent the virus from multiplying in the body and its immune-suppressing effect, allowing HIV-positive people to live long and healthy life. For this, it is important to start treatment early and continue regularly under the control of a doctor.