The old song goes...'You've got to have skin - It keeps your outside out and your inside in.'
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Your skin is the largest organ of your body, one of the most important
parts of your immune system. It provides the body's first line of defence
against a vast range of bugs that attack us every day.
We all value our looks, and skin problems are often the first visible
signs of deeper problems. Every time we look in the mirror, there's a
reminder of our HIV status and the dreaded infection. And red blotches
or dry flaking skin are a sure-fire way to further hit self-esteem and
self-confidence.
There are literally dozens of skin problems that can affect people living
with HIV and they fall into three categories: interactions between the
immune system and the virus, infections (bacterial, fungal or viral) and
the side effects of antiretroviral and other medications.
When people first get HIV, they may have flu-like symptoms, called a seroconversion
illness. This illness can include a non-itchy red rash lasting two to
three weeks. During ongoing infection, the immune system becomes screwed
up and chaotic and this can lead to red and itchy skin. Skin problems
can also occur when the
immune system starts to recover following suppression of viral replication by anti-HIV drugs.
