HIV as an Archive Virus: reframing Its impact on the body and society

Bernadette Soriano

HIV—human immunodeficiency virus—can be understood not only as a biological invader but also as an eraser of memory. At its core, HIV targets CD4+ T-cells, the immune system’s memory keepers. These cells store the body’s immunological history, remembering past infections and coordinating defense responses. When HIV infiltrates and destroys these cells, it essentially wipes the body’s immune memory clean. This internal “memory loss” weakens the body’s ability to defend itself against future threats, much like erasing vital records from an archive.

HIV vs. AIDS: understanding the difference

Many use HIV and AIDS interchangeably, but they are distinct stages in a process.

• HIV is the virus itself. It attacks the immune system, specifically CD4+ T-cells. With proper treatment, HIV can remain dormant for years without progressing. It spreads through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk, and is commonly transmitted via unprotected sex, shared needles, or from mother to child during childbirth or breastfeeding.
• AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is the advanced stage of HIV infection. If left untreated, HIV continues to replicate and weaken the immune system until it can no longer defend against opportunistic infections. AIDS isn’t directly contagious; rather, it results from HIV’s prolonged damage to the immune system.

ART: Antiretroviral Therapy

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) revolutionized the fight against HIV. ART doesn’t cure HIV, but it effectively suppresses its replication, preventing the virus from damaging more CD4+ cells. With the virus kept in check, the immune system has a chance to rebuild itself—to recover parts of its “lost memory” and defend the body more effectively.

This therapy transforms HIV from a terminal condition into a manageable chronic illness. ART is best visualized as a shield (pill bottle icon) protecting the immune system, with arrows indicating recovery and restored function.

HIV and social amnesia

HIV’s impact extends beyond the body. It also functions as a social eraser—a force that contributes to the collective forgetting of the very communities it affects most. Marginalized groups, particularly LGBTQIA+ individuals, sex workers, drug users, and people of color, have historically borne the brunt of HIV’s burden. Yet, mainstream narratives often exclude or misrepresent these communities, compounding their erasure from public memory.

Reframing ART as a memory rebuilder

ART doesn’t just manage a virus—it helps rebuild what was lost. Biologically, it restores parts of the immune system’s archive. Socially, it symbolizes the possibility of restoring erased voices and histories. By reframing ART not just as a treatment but as a memory rebuilder, we can better understand the holistic healing it enables—both for bodies and for communities.