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Women & HIV/AIDS |
Opportunistic Infections
Home > HIV/AIDS Home > Living with HIV/AIDS > Opportunistic Infections
People with HIV can develop opportunistic infections (OIs). These are infections that take advantage of weakness in the immune system. OIs also include certain types of cancer. Some OIs only affect women or affect women more than men. For example, certain female health problems, like yeast infections, are common to many women. For women with HIV, these problems are harder to treat and can be more serious. If you have HIV and develop one or more OI, you might have AIDS. The good news is that there are ways to prevent and treat many OIs. If you have symptoms of an OI, talk to your doctor right away. Your treatment might change to fight off the OI. The drugs or combination of drugs that work best are different depending on the OI.
Common OIs include:
Women also have these OIs:
Getting Immunized
If you are HIV-positive, talk to your doctor about what vaccines you might need. |
Prevent the Flu
If you are living with HIV and have flu-like symptoms, take steps to avoid passing the illness to others and contact your doctor right away. Call your doctor right away if you think you have been exposed to the flu. Learn more about flu prevention.
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Other problems that HIV causes:
Additional Resources:
Publications
HIV Infection In Women — AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death for women ages 35 to 44 in the United States. This fact sheet addresses the special concerns that women with HIV/AIDS face. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/HIVAIDS/Understanding/Population+Specific+Information/womenHiv.htm...
Opportunistic Infections — This page links to information on opportunistic infections from AIDSinfo.gov and other web sites. http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?MenuItem=HealthTopics&Search=Off&Healt...
Recommended Immunizations for HIV Positive Adults — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides this list of recommended immunizations for adults with HIV to ensure they do not contract these opportunistic illnesses. http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/ContentFiles/Recommended_Immunizations_FS_en.pdf
Safe Food and Water: A Guide for People With HIV Infection — This publication explains how people with HIV can prevent getting infections from improperly prepared food and water. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/brochure/food.htm
Treating Opportunistic Infections Among HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents — This report gives guidelines for treating opportunistic infections in people with HIV/AIDS. It also gives information on dealing with infections during pregnancy, and it lists treatment recommendations for several common infections. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5315a1.htm
Gynecological Conditions and HIV/AIDS (Copyright © Project Inform) — This publication describes the common gynecological complications and conditions that women with HIV may experience. http://www.projectinform.org/info/gyn/index.shtml
HIV: How to Avoid Infections When You Have HIV (Copyright © AAFP) — This fact sheet discusses ways to protect yourself from other infections if you are HIV-positive. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/sexinfections/hiv/248.html
Strategies for Managing Opportunistic Infections (Copyright © Project Inform) — This publication explains the connection between HIV and opportunistic health conditions, and it gives information on preventing and treating opportunistic infections. http://www.projectinform.org/info/ois/index.shtml
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Content last updated March 4, 2009.
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