THE BASICS:
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
Human: HIV only affects human beings.
Immunodeficiency: HIV attaches the body's defense system making it more open to disease and infection.
Virus: HIV is a virus that needs a living cell to grow. A virus cannot be cured.
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
Acquired: HIV is something that a person gets from someone else.
Immune: Refers to the body's natural defense system (the immune system) against disease and infection.
Deficiency: The immune system isn't working as well as it should be and therefore finds it more difficult to fight off disease and infection.
Syndrome: A set of symptoms of illnesses. AIDS is a set of 27 or more symptoms or illnesses that take advantage of the body's weakened immune system.
Transmission
HIV is transmitted through the blood stream. It is spread through sexual contact with an infected person or through sharing needles with someone who is infected.
The following represents a generalized HIV Transmission Equation:
|
Body Fluids with a lot of HIV
+
High Risk Activities
+
Access to Bloodstream
=
Possible Infection with HIV
|
HIV can also be passed from an HIV+ mother to her child during pregnancy, birth or while breast feeding.
Body Fluids with a lot of HIV include:
| • |
Blood |
| • |
Semen (including pre-cum) |
| • |
Vaginal Fluid |
| • |
Breast Milk |
High Risk Activities include:
| • |
Unprotected sex, vaginal or anal (penis in the vagina or anus) |
| • |
Sharing needles (such as needles used to inject drugs like heroin and steroids), piercing or tattoos |
Direct access to the bloodstream:
| • |
Through special cells in the penis, vagina and anus |
| • |
Through open cuts |
| • |
Through needle injection |
Treatment
There is no cure for HIV. Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) is the main type of treatment for HIV and AIDS. While it is not a cure, it can stop people from becoming ill for many years. The treatment consists of a cocktail of drugs that have to be taken every day for the rest of someone's life.
ART for HIV infection consists of drugs which work by slowing down the reproduction of HIV in the body. The drugs are often referred as:
| • |
antiretrovirals |
| • |
anti-HIV drugs |
| • |
HIV antiviral drugs |
The currently available HIV antiviral drugs can improve the quality of life of someone infected with HIV, and help them to stay well much longer than they otherwise would. The drugs slow down the reproduction and progression of HIV in the body but it needs to be remembered that they are a treatment and not a cure.
There is no proven 'right' time to start HIV treatment. It is helpful to get some basic tests done to monitor the course of your HIV infection. Then your doctor can advise you about the timing of starting treatment. There are different views of the benefits of starting HIV treatment earlier or later. Either choice will have long-term effects and consequences. You also have to consider whether you are ready to start treatment or not. Commitment to the treatment is as important as the drugs themselves.
There are certain tests which can give you information that can help you to decide about treatment, in particular the CD4 test and the viral load test.
The CD4 Test
HIV attacks a type of immune system cell called the T-helper cell. This cell carries on its surface a protein called CD4, which HIV uses to attach itself to the cell before gaining entry.
The T-helper cell plays an important part in the human immune system. It helps to co-ordinate all the other cells to fight illnesses. A major reduction in the number of T-helper cells can have a serious effect on the immune system.
HIV infected cells are often damaged or destroyed. As a result, there are fewer cells available to help the immune system to fight illnesses.
The CD4 test measures the number of T-helper cells in your blood. The more cells you have per cubic millimeter of blood, the stronger is your immune system. The stronger your immune system, the better your body can fight illnesses. A low CD4 count does not mean that you will certainly become ill, but it makes it more likely.
The Viral Load Test
Viral load refers to the amount of HIV in your blood.
The viral load test can provide important information about the likely path of HIV infection. There are different viral load tests available, which use a variety of techniques to measure the amount of virus. The results of these tests tell you whether your viral load is low, medium or high.
Source: http://www.avert.org
|
