March 30, 2008
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is believed to cause damage to your immune system. When your immune system is damaged, you can get sick from germs that would not normally cause diseases. These germs take advantage of the opportunity created by your weakened immune system to cause an infection. This is why they’re called opportunistic infections. They’re also sometimes called secondary infections, because they happen after, or second to, HIV, which is believed to be the primary (main) infection