What are the risks of having HIV?

Individuals who are HIV positive have compromised immune systems.

This puts them at risk of contracting a number of diseases: viral infections such as herpes virus, viral hepatitis, and human papillomavirus (HPV) known as genital warts; bacterial infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and salmonella; fungal infections such as candidiasis; and parasitic infections such as toxoplasmosis. Certain cancers and wasting syndrome, which causes extreme weight loss are also common.