What does the HIV virus do once inside the body?
The HIV virus invades and kills certain types of cell that are crucial in the prevention of disease in the immune system. More specifically, they target T-helper cells, which are a type of lymphocyte. The T-helper cells act to produce and release cytokines, which stimulate various immune responses e.g. interleukins trigger B lymphocytes to differentiate into plasma cells which produce antibodies that are crucial in fighting disease. When the numbers of these T-helper cells fall below that needed to successfully destroy pathogens, the ability of the immune system to fight disease is lost and the body becomes more susceptible to infection.
The HIV virus decreases the number of these T-helper …show more content…
According to a mathematical model, the drug is estimated to provide a 99% risk reduction in the contraction of HIV in high-risk individuals if taken 4 times a day . Both medications act as nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors. They compete with the reverse transcriptase enzyme needed by the HIV virus to replicate, reducing the probability of an individual becoming HIV positive. Despite the estimated capacity of Truvada, the stigma surrounding HIV means many choose not to seek medical advice about the disease therefore, the drug largely remains under the radar of those who are most at risk of contracting it. The New England Journal of Medicine reflects this in a large-scale study in which 2499 HIV negative people were tested . The study found that people who were prescribed to take Truvada daily were 44% less likely to contract HIV however, of those who were prescribed the medication and contracted the virus, ‘just four had any detectable level of the drug in their system when they were diagnosed.’ However, it was found that these four individuals had only taken the drug twice a week, instead of the prescribed daily dose, thereby making it difficult to determine how effective the drug
The HIV virus invades and kills certain types of cell that are crucial in the prevention of disease in the immune system. More specifically, they target T-helper cells, which are a type of lymphocyte. The T-helper cells act to produce and release cytokines, which stimulate various immune responses e.g. interleukins trigger B lymphocytes to differentiate into plasma cells which produce antibodies that are crucial in fighting disease. When the numbers of these T-helper cells fall below that needed to successfully destroy pathogens, the ability of the immune system to fight disease is lost and the body becomes more susceptible to infection.
The HIV virus decreases the number of these T-helper …show more content…
According to a mathematical model, the drug is estimated to provide a 99% risk reduction in the contraction of HIV in high-risk individuals if taken 4 times a day . Both medications act as nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors. They compete with the reverse transcriptase enzyme needed by the HIV virus to replicate, reducing the probability of an individual becoming HIV positive. Despite the estimated capacity of Truvada, the stigma surrounding HIV means many choose not to seek medical advice about the disease therefore, the drug largely remains under the radar of those who are most at risk of contracting it. The New England Journal of Medicine reflects this in a large-scale study in which 2499 HIV negative people were tested . The study found that people who were prescribed to take Truvada daily were 44% less likely to contract HIV however, of those who were prescribed the medication and contracted the virus, ‘just four had any detectable level of the drug in their system when they were diagnosed.’ However, it was found that these four individuals had only taken the drug twice a week, instead of the prescribed daily dose, thereby making it difficult to determine how effective the drug