Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a chronic virus that damages the immune system. It interferes with the human body’s immune system and damages the affected individual’s capability to fight different diseases and infections.
There are many misconceptions about HIV, such as that it spreads only by sexual intercourse and is a sexually-transmitted infection (STI). Additionally, research says about one in eight people with HIV are unaware they have contracted the virus. Currently, 36.7 million people above 15 are living with HIV.
Furthermore, even with the latest medical technology, HIV/AIDS is incurable as of yet, but it can be effectively controlled through proper treatment and medication. There are antiviral treatments available for HIV that have reduced the number of people who lose their lives each year. Many international organizations are making an effort to make the treatment available and are taking preventative measures to curtail its spread across the world.
This article is a complete guide to HIV and everything you should and needs to know about this virus.
What is HIV?
HIV – also known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a type of virus that attacks a person’s immune system. It is a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) spread by sexual contact. It can be transmitted from person to person via blood, semen, vaginal, or other bodily fluids. It can also spread by sharing needles or from a mother to her child during pregnancy.
There is no cure for HIV as of yet. Once a person gets it, they have it for life. Without proper medication, it can take years before HIV can significantly weaken the human body’s immune system to the point that it goes to the advanced stage called Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Causes of HIV
A virus causes HIV. It destroys a specific type of white blood cells called CD4 T cells, which plays a vital part in assisting the body fight diseases. The lesser CD4T cells one has, the weaker their immune system becomes. The body’s immune system is considered deficient when it is no longer fulfilling its role of fighting off the very role it is supposed to play, i.e., fighting off infections. The virus slowly destroys the body’s immune system, leading to immunodeficiency.
Immunodeficient people are extremely vulnerable to numerous infections and cancers. These infections and cancers are relatively uncommon in individuals who are not infected. HIV can advance to AIDS when the CD4T cell count drops to 200 or below or if an individual has AIDs- defining complications.
Transmission of HIV
HIV can be transmitted in several different ways, such as:
Sexual Transmission of HIV
HIV can be transmitted through sex, i.e., penetrative sex. The chances of getting infected are low for only one act of vaginal sex, whereas another type of sex, i.e., anal sex, has a ten times higher HIV transmission risk than vaginal sex.
Additionally, another type of sex called oral sex carries a low risk for HIV transmission. However, people with HIV who are under antiretroviral therapy, which is effective, and have a viral load, which gets suppressed, are not infectious.
Spreading of HIV through Syringes and Needles
Drug usage, re-using, or sharing of syringes or needles poses a massive risk of HIV transmission. This risk is significantly lowered among individuals who are used to injecting drugs using new syringes and needles.
Transmission By Blood Transfusion
There is a greater than 90% chance of getting HIV through the transfusion of infected blood and blood products. But, the effective implementation of blood safety standards ensures safe, good quality, and adequate blood as well as blood products for all individuals requiring blood transfusion.
Transmission of HIV through Mother-to-Child
There is a 15-30% chance that HIV spreads and is transmitted from mother to child during and even before delivery. HIV can be transmitted during any stage of birth, i.e., pregnancy, labor, delivery, and even breastfeeding. Again, the risk of transmission to the infant is significantly reduced if the infant’s mom undergoes antiretroviral therapy in the course of pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Symptoms of HIV
Common symptoms include flu-like symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks after getting infected, which may last for days or several weeks. However, these symptoms are not enough to diagnose a person with HIV because other illnesses can cause flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue.
Some individuals may have skin rashes with minor bumps and painful and swollen lymph nodes. However, some individuals may have a no-symptom history and only get to know about the disease by getting tested.
Many individuals infected with HIV do not even know that they have become infected and lead their everyday lives. However, some people get a glandular fever-like illness that might occur during seroconversion. Seroconversion is the development of antibodies in response to HIV, and it usually occurs between one to two months of getting infected.
The only way to find out whether someone has HIV is to get tested.
Stages of HIV
There are typically three stages of HIV when people don’t get treated; each progresses to the next.
Stage 1 Acute HIV Infection
This stage includes having a large amount of HIV in the bloodstream, which is highly contagious. Many people have flu-like symptoms, and if you doubt that you might have been exposed to the virus, get tested as soon as possible.
Stage 2 Chronic Infection
This stage is also known as clinical latency or asymptomatic HIV infection. In this stage, HIV is still active and continues its reproduction in the body. In this stage, individuals may not have any symptoms or might not get sick, but they can still transmit HIV. Without treatment, stage 2 can last a decade or longer, or it may even progress faster.
Stage 3 Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Stage 3 is the most advanced and severe stage of HIV; individuals with AIDS may have a high viral load and may also easily transmit it to others. Individuals in this stage are highly susceptible to severe diseases and opportunistic infections. Moreover, without treatment, individuals, on average, survive for about three years.
Prevention of HIV
Although there is no vaccine or cure for HIV/AIDS, people can protect themselves and everyone else from it.
The combination of Truvada (emtricitabine plus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and Descovy (emtricitabine plus tenofovir alafenamide fumarate) can decrease the chances of HIV transferred through sex in individuals who are at high risk.
If you were infected with HIV previously, using a particular treatment called TasP (Treatment as prevention) and intake of HIV medication can help your partner not become infected. Using TasP means consuming medication exactly how it is prescribed and never missing any of the regular checkups.
If you have been exposed to the virus through sex, syringes, or any other way, visit the hospital’s emergency department or get in touch with your health service provider. Also, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in the first three days or 72 hours can significantly reduce the risk of becoming infected with HIV. Additionally, medication plays a crucial role, and the medication will be prescribed ideally for 28 days, so make sure you don’t miss out on it. Numerous prescription assistance programs can help you bear the cost of expensive medication.
Using a new or clean needle can also reduce the risk of HIV; if you use a needle to inject illicit drugs, you have to ensure that it’s disinfected and never share it with anyone else. You can also seek help for drug use.
Using a new condom whenever you are having sexual intercourse will help reduce the risk of getting infected. Furthermore, if you’ll be using a lubricant, try using a water-based one, as oil-based lubricants can cause condoms to break. When having oral sex, it’s advisable to use a cut-open or nonlubricated type of condom, or you can also use a dental dam, which is part of a specific latex of medical grade.
Telling your partner if you have the virus is crucial. As contagious as this infection is, they also have to be medically tested to be sure.
Male circumcision can also help reduce the risk of getting infected with the virus.
In case you’re pregnant and you get infected with HIV, seek medical attention right away. If you receive proper treatment and care during pregnancy, you can massively reduce the chance of your baby getting affected with HIV.
Final Thoughts
If not treated, HIV is a deadly disease. Where health care is getting more expensive day by day, it can get hard to get the proper medication on a budget. Health should be a priority, and enrolling in a full-service prescription assistance program is often helpful in assisting individuals who find it hard to pay for expensive medications.
We recommend Advocate My Meds as they provide many different programs; fill out the “Prescription Assistance Form” and let the organization do the rest.
A writer by passion
