Acute HIV Infection in Men

Acute HIV Infection in Men

Blood samples of HIV infected men shows a high count of the virus. The virus attacks the immune system and weakens it. Due to it's similarity to flu like symptoms, patients often go untreated. Therefore, identification of early HIV symptoms in men is vital for it's diagnosis. In most of the cases, the disease is contracted by unprotected sex with a person suffering from HIV, through blood, semen or vaginal fluid. Another way for the spread of infection is sharing the common needle for intravenous injections. If the needle is contaminated with HIV infected blood, chances of getting the disease is 100%. The virus can also spread from breast milk of HIV infected mothers.

The HIV virus attaches itself to the receptors of the CD4 or T-cells of the white blood cells and then injects its RNA to it. With the mechanism of host cells, it then starts multiplying. The virus takes over the host cell machinery and the number of CD4 cells decline. The early symptoms gradually decline as the CD4 cells are capable of eradicating the virus. The body continues combating the deadly virus and after 4 to 5 years, the cells lose their capability to fight. At that point the immune system loses the battle and the body becomes highly vulnerable to many diseases. That was the complete prognosis of AIDS.