Progression of HIV infection in women: asymptomatic state to frank AIDS

The progression of infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is not completely understood with regard to a variety of potentially controllable and uncontrollable factors. The purpose of this article is to present the most common clinical indicators of potential HIV infection and classical indicators of clinical progression of the infection as presently understood. The progression of asymptomatic HIV infection to frank diagnosis of AIDS is discussed with regard to the differences in diagnosis and presentation in women versus men. Special emphasis is placed on the role of nurses in the early recognition, counseling and treatment of women at risk for HIV infection within this article. It should also be stressed that evidence increasingly grows to support the fact that AIDS is and will become increasingly a chronic, manageable condition requiring increasing nursing support as with diabetes.