What Is HIV?

Living With HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a disease that attacks the immune system. When this virus infects healthy CD4 cells (T Cells), it becomes virtually undetectable. Overtime, these cells begin to decrease in number. The less T Cells a person has in the body, the more vulnerable they are to infection.

Of the 1.2 million Americans suffering from HIV, 1 in 8 are unaware that they are infected. In 2015, there were 39,513 people diagnosed with the disease in the United States. While startling, the efforts of HIV specialist like Dr. Alexander McMeeking have helped reduce the number of newly infected individuals every year.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for HIV but there is treatment to control the virus. The first step to fighting off the virus is by getting diagnosed. Getting a diagnosis is critical to coming up with a disease treatment plan. So, it’s important to be completely honest when you visit your doctor.

An HIV specialist can help you identify if you are HIV positive. Even the seemingly smallest bit of information is important to an infectious disease doctor. This sense of mystery and detective work is required to diagnose transmitted diseases like HIV and create a disease treatment plan to prevent the virus from progressing any further.

How Is HIV Spread?