What are HIV and AIDS? (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 6 Dec, 2022

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a sexually transmitted disease caused by HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus).

HIV

HIV (human immunodeficiency infection) is an infection that assaults cells that assist the body with battling contamination, making an individual more powerless against different diseases and sicknesses. It is spread by contact with specific natural liquids of an individual with HIV, most generally during unprotected sex (sex without a condom or HIV medication to forestall or treat HIV), or through sharing infusion drug hardware. Whenever left untreated, HIV can prompt the illness AIDS (AIDS). The human body can't dispose of HIV and no successful HIV fix exists. Thus, when you have HIV, you have it forever.

Fortunately, compelling treatment with HIV medication (called antiretroviral treatment or ART) is accessible. Whenever taken as recommended, HIV medication can lessen how much HIV is in the blood (likewise called the viral burden) to an exceptionally low level. This is called viral concealment. On the off chance that an individual's viral burden is low to the point that a standard lab can't identify it, this is called having an imperceptible viral burden. Individuals with HIV who take HIV medication as recommended and get and keep an imperceptible viral burden can carry on with long and solid lives and won't send HIV to their HIV-negative accomplices through sex.

Likewise, there are compelling techniques to forestall helping HIV through sex or medication use, including pre-openness prophylaxis (PrEP), medication individuals in danger for HIV take to forestall getting HIV from sex or infusion drug use, and post-openness prophylaxis (PEP), HIV medication required in the span of 72 hours after a potential openness to keep the infection from grabbing hold.

Types of HIV

There are two types of HIV. They are,

HIV -1
HIV -2

HIV-1

We can find this type of HIV throughout the world. HIV 1 is very common around the globe.
It transmits more rapidly and faster than HIV 2.
HIV 1 infection has more chance to lead to AIDS.

HIV - 2

HIV 2 is more exclusively seen in the parts of WEST AFRICA.
When compared to HIV 1, it is a little bit slow.
The chance of lading to AIDS is also low.

AIDS

Helps is the late phase of HIV contamination that happens when the body's resistant framework is gravely harmed in light of the infection.

In the U.S., a great many people with HIV don't foster AIDS since taking HIV medication as recommended stops the movement of the illness.
An individual with HIV is considered to have advanced to AIDS when:
- The quantity of their CD4 cells falls under 200 cells for each cubic millimeter of blood (200 cells/mm3). (In somebody with a sound safe framework, CD4 counts are somewhere in the range of 500 and 1,600 cells/mm3.)
- They foster at least one pioneering disease no matter what their CD4 count.
Without HIV medication, individuals with AIDS normally get by around 3 years. When somebody has a perilous deft sickness, a future without therapy tumbles to around 1 year. HIV medication can in any case help individuals at this phase of HIV disease, and it might be lifesaving. In any case, individuals who start HIV medication not long after they get HIV experience more advantages — that is the reason HIV testing is so significant.

Symptoms

The vast majority experience a short influenza-like disease from 2 to about a month and a half after HIV contamination, which goes on for a week or 2.
After these side effects vanish, HIV may not cause any side effects for a long time, albeit the infection keeps on harming your invulnerable framework.
This implies many individuals with HIV don't realize they're tainted.
Any individual who figures they might have HIV ought to get tried.
Certain individuals are encouraged to have customary tests as they're at especially high gamble.

HIV Testing

The best way to be aware without a doubt on the off chance that you have HIV is to get tried. Testing is moderately straightforward. You can ask your medical services supplier for an HIV test. Numerous clinical facilities, substance misuse programs, local area wellbeing focuses, and medical clinics offer them as well. HIV self-testing is additionally a choice. Self-testing permits individuals to take an HIV test and figure out their outcome in their own home or another confidential area. You can purchase an individual test unit at a drug store or on the web. Some wellbeing divisions or local area-based associations likewise give individual test units at a diminished expense or for nothing.

Few tests are,

Antibody screening tests
Antibody/antigen combination tests
Nucleic acid test (NAT)

Prevention

Any individual who engages in sexual relations without a condom or offers needles is in danger of HIV disease. There are numerous successful ways to prevent HIV disease, including:

Involves a condom for sex.
Post-openness prophylaxis (PEP).
Pre-openness prophylaxis (PrEP).
Treatment for HIV to diminish the viral burden to imperceptible.
Assuming you use drugs, never share needles or other infusing hardware, including needles, spoons, and swabs.

How does HIV spread?

HIV spreads in the following ways.

HIV spreads with intercourse without a condom.
It spreads when the blood of HIV positive person mixes with a healthy person.
HIV also spreads to people when an injection needle is used on an HIV-positive person used to them.
It can transfer from the mother to her baby during pregnancy.
By heavy coughing and spitting of blood.
In rare cases, it also transmits through tattoos.
Sometimes it also transmits through the oral course and by touching the genetical parts of HIV positive person

Treatment

Antiretroviral drugs are utilized to treat HIV. They work by halting the infection from reproducing in the body, permitting the resistant framework to fix itself and forestalling further harm. These come as tablets, which should be required consistently. HIV can foster protection from a solitary HIV medication effectively, yet taking a mix of various prescriptions makes this considerably less reasonable. The vast majority with HIV take a blend of drugs. It's crucial these are required consistently as suggested by your doctor. The objective of HIV treatment is to have an imperceptible viral burden. This implies the degree of HIV infection in your body is sufficiently low to not be distinguished by a test.

Awareness on AIDS

Every year world AIDS day is being held on December 1st. Many NGOs around the world make people aware of AIDS and HIV. Many countries around the world are taking this problem as a serious issue. When compared to developed countries we can see more AIDS cases in developing or underdeveloped countries because of a lack of knowledge on HIV and AIDS. so, we have to make aware people of how HIV transmits and its severe consequences of it.

We have to be very careful during intercourse and group sessions.
Use the condom every time in a proper way.
We have to be careful with the blood of HIV positive person and the items related to it.
Sometimes being Hygienic also prevents its contamination up to some extent.

Conceptual Questions

Question 1: Does HIV easily transmits to other people who are nearby?

Answer:

No, it doesn't transmit to all the people who are nearby. It won't even transmit to the people living with HIV-positive people if they take certain safety measures. It only transmits in particular circumstances like unsafe intercourse, by mixing the blood of an infected person with the healthy person, sometimes by getting in contact with the infected person's genetic parts, and in rare cases, it might transmit through tattoos.

Question 2: How to find out if we have AIDS or not?

Answer:

If we feel any symptoms of AIDS then we can figure it out through the following ways. By medical test

Antibody screening tests

Antibody/antigen combination tests

Nucleic acid test (NAT)

Question 3: What are the symptoms of HIV?

Answer:

After these side effects vanish, HIV may not cause any side effects for a long time, albeit the infection keeps on harming your invulnerable framework.

This implies many individuals with HIV don't realize they're tainted.

Any individual who figures they might have HIV ought to get tried.

Certain individuals are encouraged to have customary tests as they're at especially high gamble.

Question 4: Is HIV curable?

Answer:

HIV is a chronic disease. It's very tough to get rid of it. But, Highly active antiretroviral therapy can make it a bit better. It improves the quality of the life of a HIV-positive person. In order to live a long life he has to take these therapy sessions throughout his/her life. In a few cases, HIV is cured completely but yet to find out the correct and accurate treatment for it.

Question 5: What precautions should be taken to avoid HIV or AIDS?

Answer:

Following precautions should be taken to prevent HIV

Involving a condom for sex.

Post-openness prophylaxis (PEP).

Pre-openness prophylaxis (PrEP).

Assuming you use drugs, never share needles or other infusing hardware, including needles, spoons, and swabs.