Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) weakens the body’s immune system, thereby reducing the body’s resistance to common bacteria, viruses, fungi and other invaders. It is also the culprit behind Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS; AIDS). HIV-infected people are prone to diseases that normal people do not suffer from, and AIDS patients are also prone to certain unusual diseases.
Anyone can be infected with HIV, and both men and women can be HIV transmitters. People with HIV experience no discomfort but still have the ability to transmit the virus to others.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 1.1 million people living with HIV in the U.S., with 37,600 new cases each year.
Having HIV is not the same as having AIDS, and it takes many years for someone with the virus to develop AIDS.
There is currently no cure for HIV infection and AIDS, but the latest medicines can help people with the infection stay healthy, live longer, and even achieve a normal life expectancy.
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HIV and CD4 T cells
HIV attacks and destroys a type of white blood cell: CD4 cells, also known as T cells. The role of this cell is to ward off disease. The HIV virus uses proteins in this cell to replicate itself and then kill the cell. This process can last 10 years or more, while the carriers are asymptomatic.
AIDS is an advanced stage of HIV infection. When CD4 cells in the immune system are reduced to very low levels, HIV-infected people begin to be unable to defend against invaders that normal people can. The diagnosis of AIDS is made when people with HIV develop certain infections or cancerous changes, or when blood tests show that their CD4 cell count in their blood is below 200.
How is HIV spread?
HIV is generally spread through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, that is, the blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk of an HIV-infected person entering the body of an infected person. Specifically, HIV can enter an infected person through broken skin or mucous membranes on the surface of the mouth, anus, penis, or vagina.
The common ways HIV is spread are:
Unprotected sex with an infected person.
Share needles to inject drugs.
Contaminated needles were used in tattoos or body parts (ears, eyes, etc.).
A pregnant woman with HIV can transmit the virus to her child before or during birth, or through breastfeeding.
Blood transfusions can also transmit HIV.
Health care workers must take special precautions. They can become infected with HIV by being stabbed by a contaminated needle, or by contacting contaminated blood from an open wound on their own, or even by splashing contaminated blood into their eyes or nostrils.
Ways to prevent HIV
The best way to prevent HIV is to avoid behaviors that increase your risk of HIV infection. Latex condoms or latex shields should be used at all times during any type of sexual activity, including vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Don’t inject drugs, and if you can’t quit, don’t use needles that have been used by others.
Some people with a very high risk of infection use PrEP. They were not HIV-infected, and the daily medication was designed to reduce the likelihood of infection.
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HIV testing
The only way to tell if you have HIV is to get an HIV test. Most HIV tests look for HIV antibodies or traces of HIV in the blood to tell if you have HIV, and some tests use urine or fluids from the mouth (not saliva).
A positive test result indicates the presence of trace amounts of HIV in the blood; a negative test result indicates no evidence of HIV infection in the test subject’s blood. Some types of tests provide results in 20-30 minutes.
When to be tested for HIV
Most tests cannot tell if a newly exposed person is HIV-infected because it takes 2-8 weeks for the body to produce antibodies or have enough virus for the test to work .
Some cases may even take up to 6 months to get a positive result, which means a negative early test does not mean HIV-free.
Confidentiality of HIV Testing
Hospitals that test for HIV will keep their results confidential. Some even offer anonymous testing, where people don’t need to register their names.
You can also buy a test kit at the pharmacy to take the test yourself at home.
HIV testing population
Anyone between the ages of 15 and 65 should be tested, including all pregnant women. People who are at high risk, such as people who use drugs by injection or who have multiple sexual partners, should be tested at least annually.
You should also get tested if you get a needle stick or come into contact with a large amount of blood from someone who is suspected to be HIV positive.
HIV infection and AIDS symptoms
Some infected people develop flu-like symptoms within a month of infection, and usually disappear within a month. Generally, HIV infection does not turn into AIDS until many years later.
Before HIV infection is diagnosed, it is possible for an infected person to develop shingles.
Women and men can develop thrush, a Candida infection that occurs on the tongue. Women can also develop severe vaginal fungal infections, or pelvic inflammatory disease.
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Signs of HIV turning into AIDS
Persistent fever
Night sweats
Irremovable tiredness, not from stress or lack of sleep
Always feel sick
Weight loss
Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, groin, or armpit
Oral yeast infection
Associated Infections and Illnesses
People with AIDS are very susceptible to other infections. These “opportunistic infections” aren’t a problem for people with normal immune systems, but for people with low CD4 cell counts, they’re more of a problem.
Because HIV is known to play an important role in these infections, doctors who see this infection will diagnose it as AIDS.
Common health problems of people living with HIV
Kaposi’s sarcoma, a skin tumor that causes black or purple spots on the skin or mouth.
Mental changes or headaches caused by fungal infections or tumors in the brain and spinal cord.
Shortness and difficulty breathing due to a lung infection.
Dementia occurs in young and middle-aged people.
Severe malnutrition.
Chronic diarrhea.
Treatment
In the past, when the virus was first discovered, HIV infection was tantamount to being sentenced to death, but with the development of medical technology, everything has changed a lot. Today, various treatments are available that can significantly slow the progression of HIV infection, and some even stop it from progressing completely.
After being diagnosed with HIV infection, doctors will use various types of anti-HIV drugs to develop a treatment plan for the infected person. This treatment is called antiretroviral therapy (ART), and the drugs used are called antiretroviral drugs.
Side effects of HIV drugs
Patients must take the right dose of the drug at the right time each day. Failure to do so can transform the virus into a resistant strain and the drug will lose its effectiveness. Anti-HIV drugs can have side effects, but they are well tolerated by the vast majority of people. Common side effects include:
diarrhea and nausea
Rash or yellowing
Strange dreams or insomnia
Dizziness, muscle weakness, or difficulty concentrating
Body fat gain or loss
High cholesterol and heart problems
Insufficient osteogenesis
Precautions for taking medicines
If you experience these or other symptoms while taking antiretroviral drugs, you should consult your doctor before deciding whether to stop the drug. There are many ways to relieve side effects without discontinuing these life-saving drugs.
There are new HIV medicines that only need to be taken once a day, but these are often ineffective against drug-resistant strains of the virus.
For people with HIV, medicines to prevent and treat opportunistic infections may also be required.
Therapeutic effect
Doctors determine how well treatment is working by measuring the amount of HIV in an infected person (the viral load).
The goal of treatment is to reduce the amount of virus to levels undetectable by most laboratories, that is, below 20 copies per microliter. But that doesn’t mean the virus is gone, or the infection is cured; it just means that the drug is still working and the patient needs to keep taking it.
Prognosis
Most patients who are properly treated are doing well and can live healthy lives for many years. The key to treatment is to start ART as soon as HIV infection is diagnosed, especially before CD4 counts drop to low levels. But even with the same treatment, some infected people get worse faster than others.
Take care of yourself, people living with HIV need to take care of their bodies, and pay attention to maintaining a good relationship with doctors experienced in treating HIV and AIDS. Be sure to stick to your HIV medication plan and review regularly to catch problems early.
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