Z20.6: Contact with and exposure to human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]

Having contact with specific pathogens does not necessarily mean that you will get sick. Whether you get sick and which symptoms you develop depends on several factors. Among these for instance are how long you had contact with the pathogens or how many pathogens you were exposed to. Another factor is how well your own immune system works.

The HIV disease is caused by the human immunodeficiency viruses. These viruses are transmitted by certain body fluids. These are mainly sperm and vaginal fluids as well as blood. Because of this, the viruses are transmitted during sex or through blood, for example.

You may then have various problems with this disease. For example, the human immunodeficiency viruses damage certain immune cells of the body. For this reason, you can get infected with other disease pathogens more quickly. In addition, the body’s immune system may not recognize altered cells, either. Due to this, you may get certain cancer diseases more quickly. The human immunodeficiency viruses can also damage certain cells in the brain. Sometimes there are also no symptoms with the HIV disease over a longer period of time. If you become seriously ill and have certain problems due to the human immunodeficiency viruses the disease is then called AIDS.