HIV-1 is one of two types of the virus, along with HIV-2, circulating around the world today.
HIV-1 is similar to HIV-2 in that they both cause disease in the same way.
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But there are key differences between HIV-1 and HIV-2.
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What Is HIV-1?
HIV-1 is also far morepathogenic(able to cause disease) than HIV-2.
An HIV-1 infection tends to progress faster and is linked to a highermortality rateoverall.
Recap
HIV-1 is the predominant strain of HIV in the world today.
It is easier to transmit and more capable of causing rapid disease progression (and death) than HIV-2.
Over 99% of HIV infections today are because of HIV-1.
Apositive resultfrom acombination HIV antibody-antigen testis confirmed with another test known as awestern blot.
Together, these tests are extremely accurate in diagnosing HIV.
Generally speaking, the majority of people infected with HIV today are presumed to have HIV-1.
HIV-1 can be differentiated from HIV-2 with a test called the Multispot HIV-1/HIV-2 Rapid Test.
You cannot get HIV from touching, kissing, sharing utensils, mosquitos, or toilet seats.
HIV is mainly transmitted through contact with body fluids during anal sex or vaginal sex.
This higher level of viral activity translates to a faster rate of T cell depletion and disease progression.
Symptoms
The symptoms of HIV vary by the stage of the disease and by the individual.
Some conditions, like HIV-associated kidney disease, are common in people with advanced HIV-1 infection but not HIV-2.
Treatment
HIV is treated with two or moreantiretroviral drugs.
Antiretroviral drugs work by blocking a stage in thevirus' life cycle.
In turn, the disease cannot progress.
The drugs do not “cure” HIV but rather keep the virus fully suppressed.
There are differentclasses of antiretroviral drugsused in combination HIV therapy.
Cabenuva can suppress the virus as effectively as daily oral therapies with just two injections per month.
Because antiretrovirals were designed to treat HIV-1, the predominant strain, some are less effective in treating HIV-2.
This includes NNRTIs, which HIV-2 appears largely resistant to.
HIV-1 is treated with a combination of antiretroviral drugs that prevent the virus from replicating.
In addition to using condoms and reducing your number of sex partners.
you might avoid getting HIV by taking once-dailypre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
If you have HIV, maintaining anundetectable viral loadreduces the odds of infecting others to zero.
Risks
Certain factors can increase a person’s risk of getting or transmitting HIV.
Social, cultural, racial, and economic factors also contribute.
HIV-1 is not only more virulent but is also associated with faster disease progression than its cousin, HIV-2.
HIV-1 also differs in its genetic origins.
HIV-1 can be differentiated from HIV-2 using a blood test called the Multispot HIV-1/HIV-2 Rapid Test.
While the symptoms and stages of HIV-1 are the same as for HIV-2, they tend to develop sooner.
The modes of transmission are exactly alike.
HIV-1 is treated with antiretroviral drugs that block the virus' ability to replicate.
Condoms and a reduction in sex partners are also important preventive tools.
Although combination antibody-antigen tests are pretty good a predicting the odds of HIV-2 infection, they are not infallible.
HIV-2 is less transmissible and virulent and mainly confined to West Africa.
With HIV-1, the progression of the disease tends to be faster and the symptoms more severe.
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