HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that damages the immune system, by infecting and destroying CD4 cells. The more CD4 cells that are destroyed, the weaker your immune system will be, making you more susceptible to various diseases.
HIV infection that is not treated immediately will develop into a serious condition called AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. At this stage, the body's ability to fight infection is completely lost.
Until now there is no drug to treat HIV and AIDS. However, there are drugs to slow the progression of the disease, and can increase the life expectancy of people living with HIV (PLWHA).
HIV type
The HIV virus is divided into 2 main types, namely HIV-1 and HIV-2. Each type is further divided into several subtypes. In many cases, HIV infection is caused by HIV-1, 90% of whom are HIV-1 subtype M. While HIV-2 is known to affect only a small number of individuals, mainly in West Africa.
HIV infection can be caused by more than 1 subtype of the virus, especially if a person is infected with more than 1 person. This condition is called superinfection. Although this condition only occurs in less than 4% of people with HIV, the risk of superinfection is quite high in the first 3 years after infection.
HIV and AIDS in Indonesia
Based on data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, during 2016 there were more than 40 thousand cases of HIV infection in Indonesia. Of these, HIV is most common in men and women, followed by male sex men (MSM), and injecting drug users (IDUs). In the same year, more than 7000 people had AIDS, with more than 800 deaths.
The latest data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health shows that between January and March 2017 alone, more than 10,000 reports of HIV infection have been recorded, and no less than 650 AIDS cases in Indonesia.