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Following an HIV Treatment Regimen: Steps to Take Before and After Starting HIV Medicines Fact Sheet
What is an Opportunistic Infection?
Key Points
- Opportunistic infections (OIs) are infections that occur more often or are more severe in people with weakened immune systems, such as people with HIV, than in people with healthy immune systems.
- Since HIV medicines prevent HIV from damaging the immune system, the best protection against OIs for people with HIV is to take thei
HIV and Heart Disease
Key Points
- Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death in the United States.
- Coronary heart disease, a specific type of heart disease, is caused by the buildup of plaque inside the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart, known as the coronary arteries.
- While risk factors for heart disease (such as hi
HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Key Points
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that spread from person to person through sexual activity, including anal, vaginal, or oral sex.
HIV and Tuberculosis (TB)
Key Points
- Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis that spreads from person to person through the air.
- Because HIV weakens the immune system, people with HIV are more likely to get TB than people w
HIV and Kidney Disease
Key Points
- The kidneys, two fist-sized organs positioned just below the ribcage on either side of the spine, filter waste and excess water from the blood.
- Injury and disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and HIV can harm the kidneys and lead to kidney disease.