Thoughts about AIDS and HIV

The never-ending caption between reading the lines of sex is the transitioning of disease called AIDS through HIV. This has scattered as rumors that sex has always been tied to as an illness on a case basis. Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV is the one that causes AIDS. Normal illness affect immune system but is controllable by doctor medication. HIV is a virus that scatters on the human immune system that supports illness. CD4 is the type of white blood cells that targets the infection. AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) are the most developed type of illness that can be seen in HIV. AIDS are caused by HIV. Long term side effects of the illness make a person die due to AIDS.

Difference between HIV and AIDS:

The difference between HIV and AIDS is, you cannot not have AIDS if you already have HIV. For a couple of years, you can never determine or see the effects or signs of the disease. As for our generation today, people infected by HIV can now be under be medication and treatment. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can determine if the person has AIDS if they go on lab tests and are positive in HIV, they had had at least one positive of the 21 AIDS-defining opportunistic infections and has the CD4 cell result of less than 200 cells.

Signs that positive HIV:

We can never say and pin-point the symptoms of the infection not, unless you’ll take an HIV test. It usually ended up to 12 weeks for an HIV test result to be positive. Exposure to HIV symptoms usually occurs two to four weeks.  If in case you go on positive with the HIV test, so therefore your body is infected; which means that the immune system will take some antibodies to battle the virus. It also includes fever, muscle aches and rashes and swollen glands.

We have common misconceptions in line with HIV and AIDS. The much rumored misconception is “HIV doesn’t cause AIDS”. The truth beyond the myth is that – if you don’t have HIV, you don’t have AIDS as well. And, if you have AIDS, you have HIV. The second much rumored misconception is – “the medicines, they take that killed people and not the AIDS.” The truth beyond the myth is that HIV treatment called antiretroviral, don’t cure people with HIV, but they can keep the person healthy for a couple of years. And the last misconception is – “AIDS test can’t be tested”. The truth beyond the myth is – AIDS test measures the body response to HIV, which is called the antibodies. One of the reliable HIV antibody test sources for is ELISA. The CDC is 99% accurate.

HIV is transmitted not only through sex but also in many different ways. HIV is multiplied through body fluids like vaginal fluids, breast milk, blood and semen and other male sexual fluids. You cannot transmit HIV from tears, sweat and spit of saliva. The most common way in which HIV is transmitted is through re-using of needles to inject heroin, drugs and methamphetamine. This process can be reduced by using a bleach solution to cleanse the needle before use of other purposes. Body piercing and tattoo should also be under the license professional to operate equipment. Unsafe sex is the most common HIV transition – may it be anal, oral or vaginal. Barriers such as dental dams, condoms or even latex gloves help reduce the risk substantially in having HIV. Mother-to-child transmission such as breast-feeding, birth and pregnancy, is also one way of transmitting HIV. Mothers with positive HIV can pass the infection to their babies while pregnant, during birth and while on breastfeeding. Mothers with positive HIV should not breast-feed their babies for safer purposes.

Uncommon transmission of HIV

Using a razor is very unusual for HIV transmission, but – it really did infect a number of people already. Using a toothbrush immediately after use of the other person who has HIV could also transmit the virus but on rare cases only. One rare documented case of HIV transmission is “French Kissing” with two individuals having severe dental problems. For safer purposes, avoid contact with blood and sex fluids so as not to be transmitted from HIV.

AIDS: A Worldwide Concern

Each year, mortality rates for AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is constantly increasing. It has affected millions of individuals all throughout the entire globe. It affects all individuals including children. Africa is the continent mostly affected by this disease. It is said that the first recorded case was from Los Angeles and was finally traced by experts that its origin is the continent of Africa. At this time, experts are trying to discover treatments for this disease but until now there is still no known cure for AIDS.

AIDS is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. A person infected with this virus usually appears asymptomatic for a longer period of time, and it slowly suppresses the immune system of infected patients. Once the immune system of those infected with the virus becomes too weak, opportunistic infections might occur and cause further damage to the health of the patient. A patient will be considered infected with AIDS if his CD4+ T cell count lowers to 200. If the CD4+ count is above 200, it is still considered as HIV. The CD4+ count will determine the status of the patient’s immune system.

There are many ways to diagnose HIV and AIDS. The first one is the HIV antibody test. Those infected with the virus produced antibodies to HIV in the blood. If an individual who submits himself to HIV antibody test will definitely have negative results if he does this during the window period of the disease which is 21 days to 6 months. This does not mean that the patient is not infected of the virus it only shows that the body has not produced the antibodies yet. Therefore, the patient should continue taking precautions. This is not the confirmatory test for HIV. A more accurate diagnostic test is the Western Blot Test. It is a confirmatory test to HIV, which supports the HIV Antibody test. There is also a diagnostic test specific for infants; PCR or polymerase chain reaction can be utilized.

AIDS is a syndrome. Therefore, it is a mix of signs and symptoms. These symptoms are the result of the impairment in the immune system. Common signs and symptoms include sinus infection, depression, persistent diarrhea, Kaposi’s sarcoma and lymphadenopathy. There are still other signs and symptoms depending on the type of opportunistic infection that the patient has acquired after his immune system became impaired. There are treatments available nowadays that slow the progression of the disease, and it has been of great help to patients that are affected. It is very expensive though and limited in distribution that is why others are unable to benefit from these treatments. There are even celebrities who are infected with HIV and their condition did not progress to AIDS because of their treatment regimen.

There are a lot of ways to acquire the virus. The most common is through sexual intercourse, being pricked by a needle that is infected and blood transfusion. It is best for people to know and understand how the virus is being transmitted so that they will be aware on how to prevent acquisition of the disease. Pregnant women that are infected with the virus usually infect their baby with HIV. This disease is indeed highly infectious.

The world has organized programs to help solve the problem with regards to the increasing number of individuals who acquire the disease. The campaign for the awareness and maturity of people to deal with the disease is being strengthened by certain groups. Even celebrities are urging people to practice safe sex and use preventive measures to prevent the spread of the disease. It is a pandemic already and instead of discriminating persons with HIV it is best to offer them emotional support because these patients are feeling so down, and they need to be educated so that they will not engage in activities that will spread the virus. There are still millions of individuals who are not aware of this condition, and it is best to participate in programs that will help increase the awareness regarding the effects of having the disease. It might be difficult to eradicate this disease but a simple sense of responsibility will definitely cause a change.