User:Bluerasberry/HIV susceptibility

HIV susceptibility is the concept that there are factors which determine whether a person is likely to become infected with HIV. The major factor which determines whether a person will get HIV is exposure to the virus; persons who are not exposed to HIV are not susceptible to becoming infected by it.

Among people who are exposed to HIV, some are susceptible to infection to a different extent than others.

Carriers of other sexually transmitted infections
Persons who have any sexually transmitted infection are more likely to contract HIV upon exposure than persons who do not have a sexually transmitted infection.

Herpes virus-2
Herpes simplex virus 2, also known as HSV-2 and commonly known as genital herpes, is an incurable chronic infection. Researchers have been able to track people with HSV-2 and record their incidence of HIV infection. The data has shown that people with HSV-2 are more likely to get HIV than people who do not have HSV-2, even when the populations are controlled for behavior and other risk factors.

Furthermore, people who take treatment to control the symptoms of HSV-2 are less likely to contract HIV than people who do not take treatment for HSV-2. This finding has lead researchers to conclude that the effects of HSV-2 infection correlate with an increased risk of HIV acquisition during exposure.

Treatment of STIs as HIV prevention
In many cases the treatment or prevention of STIs will reduce a person's risk of contracting HIV.