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How HIV Works in Your Body


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HIV invades a healthy CD4 cell

Viruses, including HIV, cannot make copies of themselves on their own.
To survive, HIV must invade a healthy cell in your body.
HIV likes to invade CD4 cells -- special cells that help the body's immune system protect you against germs and viruses that can make you sick.

HIV has the key to unlock the cell

HIV has a special chemical to unlock and enter the CD4 cell.
The chemical is like a key on the surface of the virus, ready to open CD4 cells for invasion and infection.

Using a special chemical as a key, HIV enters the CD4 cell.

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Used with permission of GlaxoSmithKline.

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