HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. ItÕs a virus thatÕs transmitted by blood or sexual contact, and it attacks the immune system. Untreated, what happens is folks that have HIV eventually have their immune system suppressed to the point that other infections can start to crop up; pneumonias, thrush, and other sorts of things that weÕd rarely see in other people who have intact immune systems. People who have newly acquired HIV sometimes will have flu-like symptoms or mononucleosis symptoms; things like a rash, a sore throat, a fever. But those arenÕt terribly common and lots of folks who have HIV never even notice that. Most people who have HIV have absolutely no symptoms until they reach later stages of disease. In later stages of disease, folks can notice weight loss, fevers, night sweats, swelling of lymph nodes, things along those lines. But itÕs really non-specific, so itÕs important that people get tested. We have really fantastic treatments for HIV. Everyone who has HIV, we recommend antiretroviral therapy, or ART. This is almost always a combination of three drugs that work together to combat the HIV virus to make sure the virus is no longer growing in the blood, and to help protect the personÕs immune system. Usually today, we can give all three of those drugs in a single tablet one time of day, and the side effects are very minimal. HIV treatment is for life. We have fantastic treatments for HIV, but we donÕt have any cure. If someone stops HIV treatment kind of midway, the virus can come back and the immune system can come down. But people who are on treatment, and who are regularly seeing their physician can have long and full lives and do everything that someone without HIV can do. They can work. They can play. They can have relationships. They can have children. And really no real limitations as long as they remain on treatment. Our Ryan White Clinic sees more than 700 patients from about 25 counties from around this part of Virginia. We have a variety of folks whoÕve been involved in treating HIV since the very early days of the epidemic and have a lot of expertise. And we also have folks who are really deeply involved in HIV research. And our goal is to provide the very best treatment possible.