When does HIV become AIDS?

 

HIV positive people can live symptom free for decades, or they may become sicker in time and develop AIDS, the life threatening illness. 

 

HIV targets and infect white blood cells in the immune system, the cells that are meant to fight HIV's existance. Because of this, it often goes undetected, and the majority of people with HIV in the world do not know they have it. If HIV goes without treatment and the virus is allowed to spread without being suppressed, HIV could develop into AIDS.

 

A HIV victim is classified as having AIDS once the virus has destroyed enough white blood cells, called T cells or CD4 cells, to stop the immune system from functioning properly. A healthy person with a functional immune system normally has 1000 - 400 T cells per cubic millimetre of blood. Someone is diagnosed with AIDS if they are susceptible to an opputunistic disease or have less that 200 T cells.

 

The best way to know your HIV/AIDS staus is to get tested, as all of the symptoms - if any are present - associated with HIV are very similar to other common illnesses that are non life-threatening.