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CURE TREATMENT PREVENTION GENERAL

Women with undetectable amounts of HIV in their blood cannot pass on the virus to their unborn children

What is HIV? 

HIV is a virus that was discovered in 1983, after young gay men in America had developed rare diseases and died.

The collection of illnesses that the HIV virus caused was called AIDS, and anyone could be affected by it. It soon became clear that Africa, in particular, had been hit hard by AIDS, but also that the virus had now spread all over the world. It appeared that HIV was not only passed on during sex, but also through blood and breast milk.
 
Since 1996, there is treatment that can suppress HIV. The treatment consists of antiretroviral drugs. You have to take these pills every day. There is also antiretroviral treatment which involves injections every two months. And other treatment is being developed which would suppress the virus for six months.
 
If you are not on antiretroviral treatment, your immune system gets weakened and you can easily become infected with other infections and diseases that could be fatal.
 

How does HIV work? 

What is HIV? And how does the virus lead to AIDS?

Anti-HIV drugs

In 1996, scientists discovered that combining different drugs was the best treatment for HIV. This is called ‘combination therapy’.

HIV reservoirs

Some CD4 cells that become infected with HIV remain ‘dormant’. These inactive CD4 cells are known as the HIV reservoir.

CD8 cells and antibodies

CD8 cells and antibodies work hard to eliminate HIV from your body.

Different types of HIV

Most people living with HIV have HIV-1. Of the approximately 40 million people living with HIV, approximately 1 to 2 million have HIV-2.

Tip

If you have any questions about an HIV cure, ask your specialist HIV doctor or nurse. They can help you find accurate information about the current situation. If you have any questions about living with HIV, get in touch with the Hiv Vereniging or ShivA in the Netherlands. They can give you advice and support.
 

Go to the Hiv Vereniging website Go to the ShivA website

 

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