All You Wanted To Know About HIV
UNAIDS has found that in 2009 an estimated 33.3 million people worldwide were living with HIV, with another 2.6 million new infections having taken place that year! However, these rates were found to be lower than the previous years in terms of new infection, infected as well AIDS related deaths. This may be due to the fact that more than 5 million people are now receiving treatment for HIV thanks to increasing access to therapy. The Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) causes Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome in people. A person who suffers from HIV eventually loses all control and protection of his or her immune systems. The virus attacks the defense of the immune system thereby making a person prone to infections and diseases. It does so by damaging the CD4 or T4 cells in the body by depleting their count. These cells are also known as t-helper cells and help the body fight against diseases.
Symptoms of HIV A person can be infected with HIV through exposure to blood or genital secretions of an infected person. People who suffer from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STI) are at a higher risk of contracting HIV. IT is usually transmitted from infected persons during unprotected sex, use of unsterilized needles, blood transfusions and pregnancy. HIV and AIDS are not symptomatic like normal diseases. Some people who have been infected with HIV can live, feel and look healthy for many years during which time the virus remains "dormant" in the person. In other cases, the virus acts almost immediately in weakening the immune system. Symptoms that arise when the virus is active is characterized by declining health due to a weak immune system, swollen glands, fever, severe and sudden hair fall weight loss, influenza and other similar symptoms.
Diagnosis of HIV The only way to determine whether a person is suffering from AIDS or is infected by HIV is by getting a person's blood tested. The most common methods of diagnosis of AIDS are by getting an ELISA test or a Western blot test done. However, the HIV antibody tests are the most effective to discover whether a person has been infected by HIV. This test essentially looks for antibodies that are produced when a body is infected by HIV. In the presence of antibodies in the test, it is confirmed that a person is infected by the virus. This means that he/she will be given a test 'positive". If it is negative it means that the person is NOT infected by HIV. Diagnosis is usually carried out only after 12 weeks of being involved in any activity that has caused the virus to be transmitted. This is because the antibodies form only between 3-12 weeks from the date of infection.
Treatment of HIV HIV cannot be completely eliminated from the body once a person has been infected by it. Research is still on to discover ways to eradicate the disease completely. However for people who have been infected by HIV, anti-retroviral or antiviral drugs, also known as ARV is used. These drugs help in combating and slowing down the onslaught of the virus on the immune system of the infected person. Although this does not cure the person completely, it is the most effective way to increase the health and lifespan of the infected person. All ARVs have side effects although this could vary depending on the individual. Remember, ARVs are the names given to medication that treat HIV; they are not the names of the actual drugs available. Alternative therapies that complement medication like acupuncture, massages and vitamin supplementation among others have also been found to alleviate stress and boost immune health in certain people.
