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HIV DictionaryA-E | F-J | K-O | P-S | T-Zfusion inhibitors: One of the most alarming developments in the AIDS epidemic is the emergence of drug-resistant strains of HIV. Worldwide, a majority of people receiving treatment for HIV are resistant to at least one drug, and many don't respond to a typical three-drug combination. But a drug called enfuvirtide (Fuzeon), the first in a new class of drugs called fusion inhibitors, appears to suppress resistant strains of HIV. Fusion inhibitors stop the virus from replicating by preventing its membrane from fusing with the membrane surrounding healthy cells. herpes simplex virus (HSV): HSV, which usually causes genital herpes, may be transmitted during unprotected anal or vaginal sex. Initial symptoms include pain or irritated skin in the genital area. Later, sores that ooze and bleed erupt on the genitals, buttocks and anus. Although these sores eventually heal, the virus periodically reappears, causing the same symptoms. Although the herpes virus isn't life-threatening in adults, it may cause brain damage, blindness or death in infants infected during delivery. Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART): Medications for the treatment of infection by retroviruses, primarily HIV. Different classes of antiretroviral drugs act at different stages of the HIV life cycle. human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): A retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections). human papillomavirus (HPV): This is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted disease. Some types of this virus cause common warts; others cause warts on the genitals. If one is HIV-positive, they are especially susceptible to infection with HPV and more prone to recurrent infections. HPV infection is especially serious because it significantly increases a woman's risk of cervical cancer. |
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