HIV and AIDS: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, and More

HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Whenever we listen to the word HIV we think of nothing but death. But that’s not how it works. A lot of people have survived this virus, even are married, have children and are living their remaining life happily. Also their children and other partners don’t have the virus.

 This is because HIV infection is not fatal but when the infection is advanced it causes AIDS and that is fatal. This advanced infection occurs when the person has more than 20 other infections and cancers due to weakened immune system. And the time between acquiring HIV and AIDS is 10-15 years or longer. So the first thing that come to our mind after listening HIV should not be death but should be how to treat it.

Why the virus is considered a deadly virus?

This is because people have it and they don’t know that they have the virus. AIDS itself is not a disease but it weakens the immune system and allow other diseases to cause trouble.  It makes harder for the body to fight against other infections resulting in immune deficiency. Such infections are called “opportunistic infections” because they take the advantage of weakened immune system.

Symptoms:

HIV has flu like symptoms.

• headache
• fatigue
• swollen lymph nodes
• fever

HIV is transmitted by the following:

• Blood
• Semen
• Rectal fluid
• Vaginal fluid
• Breast milk
• Sharing contaminated needles
• Unprotected sex
• Oral sex
• Breastfeeding

HIV is not transmitted by the following:

• Hugging people who have HIV.
• Kissing people who have HIV.
• Toilet seats

How many people are living with HIV?

According to WHO and UNAIDS 36.7 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2016. Same year some 1.8 million people became newly infected and 1 million died of related causes.

The most likely opportunistic infection is TUBERCULOSIS. TB killed almost 400000 people back in 2016. It is the number one cause of death in the people with HIV.

Prevention:

• Use condoms properly during sex.
• Avoid oral sex completely.
• Follow PrEP.

PrEP

PrEP is pre exposure prophylaxis in which you have to take an antiretroviral drug. Antiretroviral drugs are used in the treatment and prevention of HIV infection. They fight the virus by interfering with the reproduction of the virus reducing the amount of virus in the body. This therapy has caused a great reduction in people infected with HIV.

No cure but treatment!

There is no cure of AIDS but there is its treatment which includes the antiretroviral therapy and regular counselling with the doctor.