Increased Susceptibility to Disease
HIV attacks the human immune system and compromises its ability to fight off infections. It destroys the T cell or CD4 helper cells, rendering the body unable to fight disease. HIV doesn’t just destroy the CD4 cells [5]. It uses them to make more copies of itself until it crowds the immune system.
When the CD4 count is low, even minor infections like cold can be debilitating. Opportunistic diseases quickly take over the body with very little resistance. Some of these diseases include tuberculosis, pneumonia, and candidiasis. HIV-positive women become more susceptible [6] to stubborn yeast and bacterial infections. Tuberculosis, a bacterial infection of the lungs that is often challenging to treat, becomes even more difficult to treat in HIV-positive individuals.
Taking antiretroviral drugs that lower the viral burden can help reduce a person’s susceptibility to infections.