Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) attacks and destroys CD4, a type of white blood cell called T lymphocytes. The function of CD4 cells is to defend our body against various infections. Once the number of CD4 cells is very low, the body becomes vulnerable to various opportunistic infections. 'Opportunistic' describes pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites) that take advantage of the weakened immune system to invade and cause opportunistic diseases. A body with a competent (healthy) immune system never succumbs to opportunistic infections.
Today, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is considered a chronic infection or even a chronic disease treated in the same way as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.
In the past, HIV was the main cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the terminal stage of HIV infection for many people in the LGBTQIA+ community in industrialized countries and for all populations in developing countries.
Today, a person living with HIV can lead a normal life, have an HIV-negative partner without the risk of transmission, have children, keep a job, travel to different countries, age healthily, and have life or disability insurance or be able to buy a house. The key to this revolutionary advancement is highly effective antiretroviral treatment. For the treatment to be effective, it must be taken regularly, without missing doses.
Paradoxically, today, a person diagnosed with HIV in North America after 2016 has a longer life expectancy than a non-HIV-positive person.
We take care of all people living with HIV. Our team, with years of experience in HIV management and treatment, offers you high-quality expertise with a multidisciplinary approach. We offer the support of a nursing team, a social worker, and a psychologist, all specialized in HIV. The nearby pharmacy also provides specialized pharmacological support in HIV treatment.