HIV Infection and AIDS
Crucial Information about HIV Infection and AIDS
What do AIDS and HIV mean?
An immune system-affecting virus is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It gradually eliminates CD4 cells, which typically aid in maintaining the body’s health by fending off illness. Most people with HIV will experience severe immunodeficiency within ten years if they do not receive treatment. The body can no longer fight infection or prevent cancer from growing at this point. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the term used to describe this advanced stage of HIV infection.
What signs of HIV infection are present?
When they are first infected, the majority of people have no symptoms or only a mild flu-like illness, and it can be challenging to distinguish HIV from other viral infections. Known as “seroconversion illness,” this condition frequently manifests 10 to 14 days following infection. There are several symptoms associated with seroconversion illness, such as: Headache, sore throat, sore muscles and joints, fever, and swollen lymph glands in the groin, underarm, or neck Rash: Following the initial illness, HIV-positive individuals typically do not experience any further symptoms. The virus is still present in the body, though.
Why do some HIV-positive individuals go on to develop AIDS?
Untreated HIV infection weakens the immune system over time and increases resistance to infections and cancer. Every HIV-positive person eventually developed AIDS within ten years of infection, prior to the development of effective treatments. Individuals living with HIV who receive quality treatment today have a nearly normal chance of surviving and developing AIDS. This is because these medications strengthen the immune system and regulate the quantity of virus in the blood, or “viral load.”
What consequences does AIDS have?
A compromised immune system raises the possibility of contracting additional illnesses. These include cancers like Kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma, infections like tuberculosis (TB), cytomegalovirus, candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis, wasting syndrome (weight loss, frequently accompanied by fever and diarrhea), neurological issues, and kidney disease.
How does HIV infection spread among humans?
Blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk from an infected individual all contain HIV. It can be transferred from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding; unprotected anal or vaginal sex without the use of a condom; sharing drug-injecting equipment; tattooing, piercing, and other procedures involving non-sterile needles or equipment; and, though this is an uncommon occurrence, oral sex. It’s critical to keep in mind that sharing cups and silverware, kissing, regular social interaction, using the restroom, and mosquitoes are not ways that HIV is spread.
HIV infection is more likely to occur if you are a man, transgender woman, or gender nonconforming person who has sex with men; if you inject illegal drugs and share needles; if you share sex toys with people from high-risk HIV-infected countries (such as sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, and Papua New Guinea); or if you have had tattoos or other piercings done abroad using disposable equipment.
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) has infected you. Multiple different STIs can infect a person at the same time. It may be simpler to contract HIV and transmit it to sexual partners if you have a STI. Some people are more likely to contract HIV because they interact with more HIV-positive individuals or because they participate in more high-risk behaviors. These consist of individuals who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, those who have served time in jail or prison, those who use drugs—even if they are not injectable—those who have received treatment in medical facilities where inadequate infection control procedures may have been followed, and those who are citizens of nations with high HIV infection rates.
When should I have an HIV test?
See your physician or a sexual health clinic about getting tested if you believe you may have HIV or are at risk for the virus. Some individuals are at high risk and require routine testing. It is recommended that you get tested for HIV if any of the following have happened to you: you have had unprotected sex (vaginal or anal) with someone whose status is unknown or who has HIV but does not have a detectable viral load in their blood; you have had unprotected sex (vaginal or anal) with someone who is from a country where HIV infection rates are high; your partner has recently traveled to a country where HIV infection rates are high and may have had unprotected sex there; you have ever shared injectable equipment, A timely diagnosis can help the illness progress more favorably in the long run.
Conversing with your physician or a sexual health clinic about additional STIs at the same time is a smart idea. Unless there are serious concerns for your safety or the safety of others, your information will be kept private. Since HIV is a notifiable disease, laboratory personnel are required to report new cases to the government; however, this information is kept private.
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How is an HIV diagnosis made?
Blood tests: An HIV blood test may be requested by your physician or a sexual health clinic. The laboratory receives the blood, and it may take several days for the results. Rapid HIV tests: Your physician might perform a saliva sample or a finger prick as part of a rapid test. You can receive a result from this in ten to twenty minutes, but laboratory testing is always required for confirmation.
HIV self-testing: This finger-prick test, which you can perform at home or anyplace you feel comfortable, uses the same technology as a rapid HIV test. Less than fifteen minutes pass to see the results. In order to confirm the result, you should see your doctor for additional testing if the result is positive. It can take up to 24 days (and sometimes longer) after exposure for blood to test positive for HIV infection, regardless of the type of test you have.
This implies that if you are truly infected with HIV, you might receive a negative test result. We refer to this as a “false negative.” Therefore, it might take several tests over time to determine for sure if you have HIV. While awaiting test results, it’s crucial to follow safe injection procedures and have private conversations. Even if your test results are negative, sticking to these practices will lower your chance of infection and exposure in the future.
How is the treatment for HIV administered?
HIV infection cannot be cured or prevented. On the other hand, there are efficient treatments that can help guarantee a nearly normal life expectancy and stop HIV from spreading and developing into AIDS. Antiretroviral therapy is the term for these treatments (ART). They reduce the viral load by preventing the virus from replicating itself. A combination of medications is used in treatment. HIV-positive individuals cannot sexually transfer the virus to an HIV-negative partner if they take antiretroviral therapy (ART) on a daily basis, as directed, and reach and maintain an undetectable viral load.
What steps can I take to prevent HIV infection?
The best defense against HIV infection is to: never share needles, syringes, or other injecting equipment; use condoms and water-based lubricant for anal and vaginal sex; and ensure that all tattooing, piercing, and other procedures use sterile equipment.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a daily medication given to those who are at a high risk of contracting HIV. Although it is very successful in preventing HIV infection, it does not shield you from contracting other STIs. It is advised that everyone who is at risk of HIV infection take PrEP every day. PrEP can also be taken “on demand,” or only when you are likely to be exposed, as opposed to daily; however, this is not appropriate for everyone, and its efficacy is still being investigated. You can discuss PrEP with your physician or a sexual health clinic.
Post-exposure prophylaxis: In certain cases, medication can stop an individual who has been exposed from contracting HIV. PEP stands for “post-exposure prophylaxis.” It entails starting HIV treatment four weeks after being exposed. PEP should be initiated as soon as possible, ideally within three days or less of the exposure. PEP is something that certain medical professionals can offer. If not, visiting a hospital emergency room can provide PEP.
Needle and syringe programs (NSPs): These initiatives lower the risk of HIV infection as well as the spread of other blood-borne illnesses like hepatitis B and hepatitis C by giving drug injectors access to clean needles or syringes. This is known as “needle exchange” at times.
How can I prevent infecting someone else with HIV?
If you are HIV positive, the best ways to stop HIV infection from spreading to other people are to use condoms and water-based lubricant during anal and vaginal sex, never share needles, syringes, or other injecting supplies, and take your medication as directed. If your own infection is under control, there is very little chance that you will transmit HIV (this is known as a “undetectable viral load”).
It is expected of you to inform anyone who could be exposed to you if you have HIV: Inform those you have interacted with for sex or drug use (contact tracing). Your physician can assist you in determining who might be in danger and in making anonymous or personal contact with them. Even if you use a condom, disclose your HIV status to anyone you plan to have sex with. There are states where this is mandated by law.
To stop the infection from infecting the unborn child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, discuss with your doctor the possibility of beginning antiretroviral therapy if you are expecting. Learn more about pregnancy and HIV. HIV-positive living: Adhering to your treatment plan is crucial if you have HIV/AIDS. To avoid infecting others, take preventative measures.
Maintaining a healthy diet and steering clear of raw meat and eggs will help you stay well. This is due to the fact that HIV weakens the immune system, making foodborne infections more likely to be severe or persist longer in those living with the virus. Therefore, it’s crucial to stay away from animals like cats and birds that might spread illnesses. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly and practice good hygiene.
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