When individuals are first infected with HIV, early symptoms are flu-like, but when the immune system responds, people recover from these flu-like symptoms and then can become asymptomatic for as long as 10 years. However, HIV eventually wins its battle with the immune system, and individuals will eventually show symptoms of AIDS. Why does HIV eventually win its battle with the immune system?

A) HIV is a latent virus and only actively reproduces when conditions are perfect.
B) HIV is constantly reproducing but doesn't produce the vital toxins necessary to kill T4 cells until a certain period of time has passed.
C) During the asymptomatic period, new variants of HIV arise, and antibodies produced against earlier variants don't recognize the new variants.
D) The population of HIV doesn't change during the asymptomatic period, and therefore, antibodies that were produced originally against it are destroyed by the spleen.