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The term AIDS is used to describe the most advanced stages of HIV infection. AIDS is a general term which includes various diseases which can result from a severely weakened immune system. Typically, a person with AIDS has:

• A very low level of CD4 T-cells (around 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood or below), and/or:
• One or more severe opportunistic infections such as pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, severe thrush in the vagina or mouth, severe fungal infections, tuberculosis (TB), mycobacterium avium complex, serious eye infection, etc. These infections can cause a range of symptoms such as severe sweats, fever, cough, diarrhoea, weight loss and generally feeling unwell. Without treatment, the severe infections which develop are commonly fatal. Worldwide, TB infection is one of the most common causes of death in people with HIV.

In addition, people with AIDS have an increased risk of developing other conditions such as:

• Certain cancers. Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancer which is usually only seen in people with AIDS. There is also an increased risk of developing cancer of the cervix, and lymphoma.
• An AIDS-related brain illness such as HIV encephalopathy (AIDS dementia).
• A severe body wasting syndrome.

Many different symptoms can develop from the above conditions. Children with AIDS can develop the same opportunistic infections and problems as adults. In addition, they may also develop severe common infections of childhood such as severe ear infections, severe tonsillitis, etc.

Variations on the above

The above progression - that is from primary HIV infection, to several years of no symptoms, to a gradual decline in health, to AIDS - is the common pattern of the disease in untreated people. However, the pattern can vary. Some people with HIV decline in health much quicker than usual. (This is more common in developing countries where general ill health is common.) On the other hand, some people with HIV have lived for many years without developing serious problems. In addition, modern treatment can make a big difference (see below).

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