Overview of factors affecting aids progression

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), affects over 33 million individuals all over the world. The majority of the affected individuals (>95%) are living in the developing countries, where appropriate drug treatment may not be available to all infected individuals. Many factors are known to affect infection with HIV and the progression of this disorder. These factors include biological, factors related to the virus and the host. In addition, personnel and life style as well as environmental factors may affect HIV/AIDS progression. Understanding these factors and controlling them may reduce or prevent HIV infection, delay the onset of AIDS and/or change the quality of life of the affected individuals, into a better standard of living. In this article, we review the literature on these factors and their significance in long term HIV/AIDS survival.