HIV, also known as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, targets the immune system. HIV can cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, also known as AIDS, if treatment is not received. There's not a true answer as of yet. Individuals who get HIV are permanently infected.
What is HIV?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV affects cells in your immune system, which makes it harder for your body to fight off other diseases. HIV infection may cause Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) if it has seriously weakened your immune system.
Because HIV inserts its instructions into your DNA backward, it is known as a retrovirus.
What is AIDS?
The last and most serious stage of HIV infection is called AIDS. AIDS patients have significantly weakened immune systems and incredibly low concentrations of certain white blood cells. They may also have other illnesses that point to the development of AIDS.
HIV infections take about ten years to progress to AIDS in the absence of medication.
What’s the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is not the same as AIDS; instead, it is a virus that compromises your immune system. When your immune system is drastically compromised due to an HIV infection, you may get AIDS.
You cannot get AIDS if you are not infected with HIV. Not every HIV patient develops AIDS because of medication that lessens the virus's impact. However, nearly all HIV-positive individuals will get AIDS if they do not receive therapy.
What does HIV do to a person?
HIV infects CD4 cells, also known as helper T cells, which are white blood cells in your immune system. Your white blood cell count will decrease as a result of it destroying CD4 cells. As a result, your immune system is weakened and unable to combat infections—even ones that otherwise wouldn't cause illness.
HIV first causes flu-like symptoms and sickness. After that, it can linger in your body for a considerable amount of time without showing any signs. Over that time, your T-cells are slowly removed. HIV has progressed to AIDS when your T-cell count is extremely low or you start to develop specific illnesses that people without good immune systems don't get.
Rapid weight loss, excessive fatigue, fevers, night sweats, oral or genital ulcers, and skin discolorations are all symptoms of AIDS. Additional ailments and cancers often happen in people living with AIDS and can cause additional symptoms.
What’s a retrovirus?
A retrovirus is a type of virus that functions in reverse of how human cells behave. The instructions (DNA) in human cells communicate with the messenger (RNA) to form the building blocks (proteins) that make up your body.
RNA is where retroviruses write their instructions. A retrovirus that enters your cells modifies its RNA to resemble the DNA (or instructions) in your cells. It then cuts your cells' DNA and inserts its instructions. After that, your cell behaves as if it were the virus that was instructing it.
A retrovirus is HIV. Every virus begins its life as an invasion of your cells, using the “machinery” of your cells to multiply. HIV not only multiplies within your cells but also inserts its instructions into your DNA.
Who does HIV affect?
The idea that HIV only infects specific people is false. If someone is exposed to the virus, they could get HIV. The two most common ways that HIV spreads are sharing needles for drug injections and having intercourse without using a condom.
HIV affects some communities statistically more than others. HIV is particularly harmful to the following groups:
1. LGBT individuals, bisexual males, and men who have sex with men (MSM).
2. Certain racial groups, including Black and Hispanic individuals.
3. HIV infection is also highly likely to occur in those who trade sex for cash or other goods.
Even while these groups aren't the only ones affected by HIV, it's vital to remember that they have particular difficulties being tested, getting preventative care, and getting full treatment. Racism, homophobia, Poverty, and HIV-related societal stigmas restrict people from receiving high-quality healthcare and perpetuate disparities.
How common is HIV?
There are fewer new cases of HIV infection. In the United States, 1.2 million individuals were HIV-positive in 2019. Routine HIV testing is crucial because 13% of persons who are infected are unaware that they have it.
Symptoms and Causes
What are the symptoms of HIV?
Even if you don't have any symptoms, HIV may still be in your body. For this reason, even if you don't feel ill, it's still crucial to get checked.
When you first get HIV, you could occasionally get flu-like symptoms. These could include:
1. High temperature.
2. Feels cold.
3. Feeling tired.
4. Sore throat.
5. Aches in the muscles.
6. Sweat during the night.
7. Stupid.
8. Swollen nodes of lymph.
9. Mouth sores.
What are the stages of HIV?
There are three stages of HIV:
Stage 1: Acute HIV
Some people have flu-like symptoms a month or two after they’ve been infected with HIV. Usually, these symptoms disappear in a week or a month.
Stage 2: Chronic stage/clinical latency
Following the acute phase, HIV can be carried for many years without causing symptoms. It's critical to understand that even if you feel well, you can still infect others with HIV.
Stage 3: AIDS
The most dangerous stage of HIV infection is AIDS. At this stage, HIV has severely weakened your immune system, increasing the likelihood that opportunistic infections may result in disease.
An individual with a good immune system can usually fight off opportunistic illnesses. HIV and AIDS prey on your compromised immune system after they have progressed.
When you have AIDS, you have an increased risk of developing specific tumors. AIDS-defining diseases are combinations of these malignancies and opportunistic infections.
To receive an AIDS diagnosis, you must have HIV infection and at least one of the following symptoms:
Fewer than 200 CD4 cells (200 cells/mm3) per cubic millimeter of blood.
A disease that defines AIDS.
What are the symptoms of AIDS?
Although HIV infection can be the source of some AIDS symptoms, many other infections prey on your compromised immune system.
How does HIV spread?
HIV can spread through an infected person's blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk, and rectal secretions. Individuals of all genders and sexual orientations are susceptible to HIV infection and transmission.
The mouth, anus, penis, vagina, or broken skin are possible entry points for the virus into your body. It requires a cut or wound to penetrate your skin. HIV can potentially be passed from pregnant women to their unborn children.
Can you get HIV from kissing?
As kissing does not spread HIV, it is not a common practice. If you kiss someone deeply and openly and there are circumstances where other bodily fluids are shared, including when both of them have bleeding gums or open sores in their lips, there's a potential you could contract HIV.
Diagnosis and Tests
How is HIV diagnosed?
You can get an HIV diagnosis with a blood or saliva test. You have three options for taking the test: at home, in the office of your healthcare provider, or at a community testing site.
There's no need for additional testing if your test results are negative if:
1. You haven't been exposed to anything potentially harmful in the three months before doing any kind of test.
2. You haven't had any potential exposure during the time frame for a blood test.
What tests diagnose HIV?
HIV testing comes in three varieties: nucleic acid tests (NATs), antibody, and antigen/antibody tests:
Antigen tests
Antigen assays search for p24 surface markers on HIV. Antibody tests search for substances that your body produces in response to those markers. HIV antigen/antibody tests look for both.
Antibody tests
These tests search your saliva or blood for HIV antibodies. You can use a finger prick, a blood sample taken from your arm, or a stick to rub your gums to gather saliva.
Nucleic acid tests (NATs)
NATs search your blood for HIV. Using a needle, a medical professional will draw a tiny amount of blood from your arm. After that, the blood is transported to a lab for an HIV test.
Usually, a NAT can identify HIV 10–33 days after exposure. Keep in mind that unless you have experienced a high-risk exposure, this test isn't generally done.
Are there at-home tests for HIV?
HIV test kits for use at home do exist. Some are quick examinations that include rubbing your gums with a stick that has a pliable, soft tip. Next, you placed the stick in a tube with a special solution to get your results. Results show up in 15 to 20 minutes.
Management and Treatment
Is there a cure for HIV?
Although there isn't a cure for HIV at this time, there are numerous treatment alternatives that can greatly decrease the virus's growth.
How is HIV treated?
A variety of oral medications (pills) are used to treat HIV daily. Antiretroviral therapy is the term for this combination of medications (ART).
It is more efficient to take multiple types of medicines rather than one to prevent HIV from replicating and killing your cells. Additionally, there are combination pills that contain multiple prescription drugs in one tablet.
How can I take care of myself while living with HIV?
You must take prescription drugs as directed and make sure you don't miss any appointments. We refer to this as maintaining treatment.
HIV may change and alter how it infects your cells if you miss any meds, even unintentionally. This could result in your medications not working as planned.
Prevention
How can I reduce my risk of getting HIV?
Understanding how HIV spreads and taking precautions when engaging in specific behaviors are the greatest ways to lower your chance of contracting the virus. The most common ways that HIV spreads are by sharing needles for drug use and having intercourse without using a condom.
Here are a few strategies to lower your risk:
1. Use latex condoms, sometimes known as rubbers, for all forms of sex, including oral, anal, and vaginal.
2. Condoms made of animal products (such as lambskin) should not be used.
3. Apply lubricants (lotion) based on water.
4. Never share needles when using medication.
5. Take an STI test and receive treatment. Your chance of contracting HIV may increase if you have other STIs.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
If you are at high risk of contracting HIV but do not currently have the virus, you should take PrEP every day. In particular, if you have not had HIV and have had anal or vaginal sex within the last six months, it is advised that you take PrEP.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
PEP aims to prevent HIV infection as soon as possible after exposure by using HIV medications. PEP is for those who do not know they are HIV positive but believe they may have been exposed through work, sexual assault, sharing needles or other equipment, or consenting sex.
Does HIV go away?
HIV does not disappear by itself. It becomes a part of your body by inserting itself into your DNA. After, many years may pass without any signs.
Living With HIV
How do I take care of myself with HIV?
1. Take your prescriptions exactly as directed and on schedule.
2. Attend all of your appointments so that your medical team can keep an eye on your condition and determine whether your therapy needs to be modified.
3. Observe the advice given by your healthcare expert about preventing more diseases.
If I have HIV, how can I keep from spreading it to others?
Many of the same strategies you take to protect yourself are also the greatest ways to prevent HIV from infecting others:
1. Inform anyone you inject drugs with, including sexual partners, that you are HIV positive.
2. Don't forget to take your prescriptions as directed by your doctor. Having an undetectable viral load significantly lowers your chance of HIV transmission during intercourse.
3. Discuss taking PrEP with your partner before having sex.
4. For oral, anal, and vaginal sex, always use condoms—even if you have an undetectable viral load.
5. Limit the number of sexual partners you have.
Can I get pregnant if I have HIV?
According to popular belief, HIV does not lower your chances of becoming pregnant. Speak with your healthcare practitioner if you wish to get pregnant and you have HIV. Before attempting to conceive, you and your spouse can work up a strategy that will protect your health and the health of any future children.
Conclusion
The terrible spread of the AIDS epidemic has been addressed in the United States and around the world using some well-researched and effective techniques. However, the human cost and missed productivity continue to be a horrifying issue. People of different ages and ethnic origins are affected by HIV/AIDS, both domestically and globally. The aim is to completely eradicate new HIV infections in Florida as well as across the United States and the globe. Each of us is essential.
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