Aids awareness: Let’s bridge the gap
By: Umair Shafiq Khanday
Ever since the first cases of AIDS were reported 40 years ago, there have been innumerable efforts to spread awareness about HIV and control its spread. Despite that, around 1.5 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2021 alone.
This throws light on the lack of awareness and precaution that is still prevalent. On the eve of World Aids awareness month let’s discuss HIV/AIDS and things everyone must know about it.
HIV or AIDS: What’s the difference? In short, AIDS is the condition and HIV is the virus that causes it.
HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a virus that attacks your immune system and weakens its function.
There is currently no effective cure. Once people get HIV, they have it for life.
Only 1 in 4 people with HIV are taking HIV medicine regularly and have their virus under control. Without treatment, HIV worsens and the most advanced stage is called AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).
AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
It is the most severe phase of HIV infection. Over time, levels of HIV in the body increase and your immune system’s efficiency declines.
The risk of infections, cancers, and other diseases rises dramatically.
Seeking Treatment is Crucial When people with HIV do not get treatment, they typically go through these 3 stages:
Acute HIV Infection
HIV: 0
It occurs within 2-4 weeks of getting infected. It may or may not cause flu-like symptoms like fever, rash, headache, or sore throat. As the immunity continues weakening, the person may develop other symptoms like swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, and fever. In this stage, the virus reproduces heavily, so the risk of transmission is high
Chronic HIV Infection
People may remain symptomless or get sick in this phase. The virus multiplies at low levels, but it can be transmitted. With treatment, the progress of the condition gets delayed by several decades. Whereas, without treatment, the condition may worsen within 10 years or faster.
AIDS
If treatment is not given, chronic HIV infection progresses into AIDS. The person’s immune system is severely damaged and they become prone to developing severe infections and illnesses. In technical terms, HIV is considered to have progressed to AIDS when the level of CD4 immune cells is below 200 cells/mm². In healthy people, this count is between 500 and 1,600 cells/mm³.
HIV doesn’t always progress to AIDS
Many people infected with HIV live for years without developing AIDS. This is because taking ART (antiretroviral treatment) or HIV medicine every day as prescribed stops the progression of the disease.
HIV isn’t curable, but treatment helps infected persons live healthy lives while keeping their partners safe. Along with this, eating healthy, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking and alcohol can help you lead a healthier life.
HIV gets transmitted not just by sexual activity but also.
HIV gets transmitted not just by sexual activity but also By sharing syringes,
Through blood transfusions, From a pregnant mother who is suffering from HIV infection to her child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.
How to prevent HIV transmission?
Follow safe sex practices and use condoms. Get routinely tested and treated for sexually transmitted diseases.
Never share syringes or other injecting equipment, including spoons, and swabs (injecting drug users).
If you are pregnant, get yourself tested for HIV. If found positive for HIV, starting treatment immediately will help you and your baby stay safe. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is the antiretroviral treatment to lower HIV infection after exposure.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis
Medicines are advised to those people who do not have HIV but are at a very high risk of getting HIV to prevent it.
(The author is a Nursing graduate)
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