HIV and Infections

Summary

Having HIV/AIDS weakens your body’s immune system. It destroys the white blood cells that fight infection. This puts you at risk for opportunistic infections (OIs). OIs are serious infections that take advantage of your weak immune system. These infections are less common and less severe in healthy people.

There are many types of OIs:

• Bacterial infections, including tuberculosis and a serious related disease, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC)
• Viral infections, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and hepatitis C
• Fungal infections, like yeast infections, cryptococcal meningitis, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and histoplasmosis
• Parasitic infections, such as crypto (cryptosporidiosis) and toxo (toxoplasmosis)

Having HIV/AIDS can make infections harder to treat. People with HIV/AIDS are also more likely to have complications from common illnesses such as the flu.

You can help prevent infections by taking your HIV/AIDS medicines. Other things that can help include practicing safe sex, washing your hands well and often, and cooking your food thoroughly.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here

• AIDS and Opportunistic Infections Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Stages of HIV Infection National Institutes of Health, Office of AIDS Research
• What Is an Opportunistic Infection? National Institutes of Health, Office of AIDS Research

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Clinicalinfo: Information on HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention, and Research HIV.gov
• HIV.gov HIV.gov
• HIVinfo National Institutes of Health, Office of AIDS Research
• NIAID Division of AIDS National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections National Institutes of Health

Patient Handouts

• Cryptococcosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Molluscum contagiosum Medical Encyclopedia
• Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia Medical Encyclopedia
• Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy Medical Encyclopedia
• Toxoplasmosis Medical Encyclopedia

Specifics

• Flu and People Living with HIV Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• HIV and COVID-19 National Institutes of Health, Office of AIDS Research
• HIV and COVID-19 Basics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• HIV and Rheumatic Disease American College of Rheumatology
• HIV/AIDS and Fungal Infections Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• HIV/AIDS and Oral Health National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
• How to Stay Healthy with HIV National Library of Medicine
• Mpox and HIV Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Pneumocystis Infections: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
• STDs and HIV Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Tuberculosis: The Connection between TB and HIV Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Valley Fever Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• What Is a Latent HIV Reservoir? National Institutes of Health, Office of AIDS Research

Reference Desk

• Glossary HIV.gov

Prevention and Risk Factors

• HIV and Immunizations National Institutes of Health, Office of AIDS Research

Treatments and Therapies

• HIV/AIDS Medicines: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine

Related Issues

• Neurological Complications of HIV and AIDS National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Statistics and Research

• NIH Launches New Collaboration to Develop Gene-Based Cures for Sickle Cell Disease and HIV on Global Scale National Institutes of Health

Journal Articles

• HIV and Infections