coinfection – having more than one infection, eg HIV and TB, or HIV and hepatitis C.
Glossary
Selected words and phrases
free radical – a chemical produced after a molecular reaction, often containing oxygen, that has one ‘free’ unpaired electron on its outer surface. This makes it able to react and damage other cells, and perhaps increase progression of cardiovascular disease, cancers and aging. See antioxidant.
TD (or tid) – a short hand term for medication dosing that means ‘take three times a day’.
bradycardia is when the heart beats too slowly.
tachycardia refers to when the heart beats too fast.
See: arrhythmia
viral load – the amount of virus in a sample of blood or other fluid. With HIV this is commonly the amount of HIV in a millilitre (mL) of blood. See viral load test.