Summary:
- HIV is the retrovirus that destroys the immune system.
- HIV primarily infects helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells.
- HIV infection is treated with a cocktail of several antiretroviral drugs.
- Treatment can dramatically increase the life expectancy of people with HIV.
- HIV is transmitted by sexual contact and by contact with infected bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, breast milk, and vaginal secretions.
- It is now a pandemic, with an estimated 38.6 million people now living with the disease.