HIV virus attacks the immune cells of your body. Initially you
will still feel over. However, when your immune cells (those B and
T cells) are more or less depleted during the full blown AIDS, then
you will start to get all sorts of other diseases. This is because
your immune system is so damn fucking weak that all other illnesses
are no longer protected against.
HIV CANNOT be treated permanently. Only can be slowed down. The
most promising method is by taking the highly active antiretroviral
therapy (HAART), which consists of 3 types of drug.
These drugs could be the protease inhibitors (prevent successful
viral assembly), the reverse transcriptase inhibitors (prevent
reverse transcription of HIV RNA), integrase inhibitors (prevent
integration of reverse transcribed HIV DNA into your DNA),
maturation inhibitors (prevents maturation of viral capsid protein)
or the entry inhibitors (prevent viral from binding and entering
the cells).
Even though these drugs sounds "successful", it is known that
viruses are infact very smart that they can evolve and evade these
therapies.
To make matter worst, HIV can be found in all parts of the body.
And therefore, once it enters the brain, across the blood brain
barrier, it stays in the brain effectively. The brain then acts as
a sanctuary spot for the virus to grow and replicate, thus
effectively causes brain dementia in the long run. The brain also
act as a reservoir to release the virus slowly to infect other
parts of the body.
Viruses in the brain are difficult to eradicate because of the
presence of the blood brain barrier which limits entry of many
drugs into the brain. Sad to say, the HAART drugs are mostly
effectively blocked.
Therefore, it is still a huge challenge for scientist to find
ways to tackle the protein.
But please note this!!!!
Pregnant women with HIV infection, you can pass the virus to
your newborn if you are not treated. However, if you are treated
with HAART (not like 8 months into pregnancy, then you start to
take, but maybe during your first trimester or earlier), then your
child would be protected against this damn virus. However, the
mother would still be positive. But at least you can save your
child.