There is no treatment. However, suppressive drugs such as AZT and others have helped prolong both the length and quality of life. Once a diagnosis of HIV is made, patients should be placed on these drugs. They appear to lengthen the time of positive infection to the full blown AIDS . Proper diet, exercise, meditation, visualizations, proper sleep, abstinence from alcohol and drug abuse, acupuncture, herbal therapy, and scrupulous care to decrease exposure to other infections have all helped to slow the progression of this disease.
Life threatening opportunistic infections develop.
AZT and other drugs are prolonging both the length and quality of life. Infected Moms can pass this to babies, but taking some of the suppressive drugs have decreased the transmission rate. There is no cure and the eventual end is death. On-going research is underway to develop a vaccine and a cure. AIDS was first reported in the United States in 1981.