HIV is an RNA virus that causes lifelong infection. Symptoms occur within four weeks of exposure and include flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle pain, rash and headache. During the acute stage of infection, HIV destroys CD4+ cells, which allows for the transmission of the virus, opportunistic infection and the eventual development of AIDS [acquired immune deficiency syndrome].
In 2025, HIV and AIDS still have a massive impact on global health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 40 million deaths have been attributed to HIV since its discovery. The WHO reported that there were approximately 40 million HIV-positive people in 2023, accounting for 630,000 deaths and 1.3 million incident cases.
HIV infection in the UK is still a major public health concern….