HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Information About HIV AIDS
It is three decades since the discovery of the HIV virus but we are still lacking information about HIV / AIDS. According to UN AIDS estimates, there are now 33.2 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children. Although there is no foolproof cure or vaccine for HIV virus, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) will ensure that medicines are available at an affordable cost even in third world countries. The search for the vaccine for AIDS remains the challenge for the world today.
Let us delve into some more information about HIV /AIDS. What is causing the spread of the infection? Ignorance. One in three youngsters in the world are still ignorant about how the infection spreads. We have to wake up to the harsh reality of the epidemic and the world’s leaders must demonstrate real commitment to keep their promise. We cannot wait another quarter of a century for a vaccine. The need of the hour is the four Ms-motivation, money, medicines and manpower.
Let me burst the bubble on some common myths about HIV /AIDS.
Blood donation can cause HIV infection. People today are afraid of donating blood. HIV does not spread through donation of blood, as hospitals and blood banks use disposable syringes. Another myth is that HIV / AIDS spreads through mosquito and bug bites, air, saliva and touch. It is a very important piece of information about HIV / AIDS that it is not spread through mosquito and bug bites, air, saliva and touch.
Promiscuous men and women have largely been held responsible for fuelling the HIV /AIDS epidemic in the world. Stigma towards HIV-positive people needs to be countered if the threat of HIV /AIDS is to be overcome. Stigma is hard to track and its impact even harder to measure. Those vulnerable to and experiencing social stigma and discrimination will be puzzled if they were told that awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS is higher than before.Awareness is not translating into tolerance or a shedding of stigma. The good information about HIV / AIDS is that the number of people contracting HIV infection is dropping worldwide.
Protection against HIV/AIDS and preventing its spread is certainly a key message, but protection using stigma and alienation will go nowhere. It is always challenging to fight for legislation and better policy outcomes. Certain states have law against discrimination of HIV-positive children in schools. But laws and policies cannot be substitutes for a humane approach.
HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Too many know as the aids virus that lives in the blood and other body fluids, within the blood or white blood cells of the infected person. Large scale transmit of this virus occur due to unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing of drug injections, infected used in transfusion, and in some occasions through pregnancy when the virus is passed from mother to child. It’s important to understand that people don’t catch aids, they become infected with HIV due to many one of the above listed transmits.
Secondly we need to understand the positive results of HIV that is when the body has been infected by the human immunodeficiency virus. When blood tests are carried out doctors don’t search for HIV but they come across it in our blood, HIV+, HIV antibody positive or seropositive HIV add up to the simple meaning of being infected with positive HIV results. The HIV virus is not a disease it’s a progressive emanation that damages your body immune system.
The HIV virus is best know for targeting the T cells having chances of attacking the cells of the brain, nervous system, digestive system and lymphatic system. Hence the T cells can be referred to as the brain operator of our system, and when these cells are infected our body becomes weak and cannot battle bacteria, cancer, fungi and other parasites, When T cells are infected with HIV it kills the strength of a human progressive and recovery system.
Once HIV infects your T cells then it works like a factory reproducing itself to grow the virus inside the body, which eventually results in the virus moving into the bloodstream. HIV can destroy all fresh T cells repeating its process of reproduction in this manner. The immune system then gets absolutely weekend multiplying this virus all over you, this can be termed as “opportunistic infection”.
A person with a HIV-weekend immune system comes down with one or more of rare opportunistic infections, with low T cell counts it can be diagnosed as an AIDS patient, ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICENCY SYNDROME. AIDS can be thought of the most severe form of HIV disease, all but a handful of medical experts now believe that HIV is the primary agent that leads to the development of AIDS.
HIV Does It Have A Natural Cure? How Can You Get This Terrible Disease?
The Human immunodeficiency Virus or HIV as it is popularly known, is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). HIV causes a person’s immune system to weaken dramatically. The immune system is the body’s defense mechanism against all forms of infection and undesirable intrusions. When HIV attacks the body’s immune system, the body becomes more prone to infection. These infections are oftentimes called “opportunistic” infections since the take the “opportunity” of infecting the body at its weak state. Once infection has taken place, illnesses can occur. Some of these illnesses can be arrested by a healthy immune system. However, a considerably weakened immune system will not be able to fight the infection.
Having HIV does not mean that one has AIDS. The HIV weakens the immune system but AIDS sets in when infections have already take place. AIDS thus consists of the weakened immune system and the infections that have affected the body to a great extent.
Individuals who are affected with HIV may not know it. The virus can remain dormant for weeks, months or even years. Once the virus multiplies, the body may not even detect it. It may take time for the body’s immune system to respond to the virus. HIV can progress to AIDS when: an HIV-infected individual’s CD4 T cell count drops below 200 cells/mm; an HIV-infected individual develops an illness that is very unusual in someone who is not HIV-positive .
The HIV cannot reproduce outside a living host, nor can it survive well in the environment. HIV cannot be transmitted with handshakes, breaths, or sharing clothes. There is no evidence that insects can be carriers or transmitters of HIV.
HIV is transmitted via blood transfusion. There are many ways wherein blood may be transfused from one individual to another. One example is blood donation. The other common example is through sexual intercourse, especially when there are open wounds within the genitals or genital area.
An individual can lessen the chances of acquiring HIV by being careful in matters that relate to the occasions when blood can be transferred from one individual to the other.
At present, researchers are still very active in researching on the cures or alleviations for HIV. Since HIV attacks the immune system, it is important to take vitamins and minerals that strengthen the immune system. These vitamins include vitamin A, the B-complex vitamins, and vitamin C. University studies have found that colloidal silver can kill the HIV virus in a petry dish but don’t know if it will work in humans
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that contributes to the health of the immune system. Zinc increases the reproduction of infection-fighting T-cells. Selenium increases the production of natural killer cells and mobilizes cells to fight complications that may be arise from HIV.
Preventing AIDS
AIDS is a very serious disease because once you are detected to be an AIDS patient, you are susceptible to each and every disease be it as small and mild as common cold. This is so because even if you have such a harmless illness, your body might not be able to fight with it.
Our human body is so ‘programmed’ or ‘trained’ that any infection or unwanted cells cause the production of ‘anti-bodies’ in our body. They are precisely the security system of the human body. HIV prevents such protection.
The HIV virus which leads to AIDS reduces the ability of our body to fight diseases to zero. This implies, if this virus causes the disease AIDS, then the body looses the capability to fight any disease, no matter how small-an-illness it might be. Sometimes, such small illnesses can also attribute to the persons death.
Prevention is better than cure, especially if there is NO cure!!
1. Have safe sex. HIV is transmitted through exchange of body fluid. It is best to use condoms.
2. Always use a fresh disposable syringe for injective purposes. Never use a used one, even if it is your friends’.
3. When anyone needs blood transfusion, make sure the blood you use is government approved and processed.
4. Be careful while dealing with body fluids like blood. Any intake of such in one’s body from an HIV infected person is dangerous.
However AIDS or HIV does not spread through the following:
1. By shaking hands with an HIV infected person
2. By touching or hugging an HIV infected person
3. By insect bites
4. Sharing toilet
5. From food cooked by can HIV infected person.
HIV/AIDS & Other STD
Sexually Transmitted Diseases – are transmitted through sexual contact. STD -are generally divided into two categories, bacterial and viral. Bacterial infections are relatively easy to cure if detected early. Viral infections are technically incurable but the symptoms are controllable if detected early. Having a sexually transmitted disease (STD) can increase a person’s risk of becoming infected with HIV. STD treatment reduces the risk of HIV infection.
The human immunodeficiency virus HIV, Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are one of the main concern today. The patients affected by them are large in number and alarming as it is infectious. Anybody anywhere can get the virus, from one person to the other, from a mother to a baby. It is estimated by the Joint United Nations Program that there are over 34 million people worldwide affected with HIV/AIDS. Out of them only few are aware of their being infected and spreading the virus.
To begin with HIV - the human immunodeficiency virus - is a virus that kills your body slowly and slowly. HIV attacks human cells and uses nutrients and energy provided by those cells to grow and reproduce. HIV can be passed from one person to the other. If someone with HIV infection has sex or shares drug injection needles with another person then he or she is likely to be HIV positive. It also can be passed from a mother to her baby when she is pregnant, when she delivers the baby, or if she breast-feeds her baby.
It is very important to keep yourself away from the virus getting into your body and it is equally important not to let others get infected by it. There are different ways of getting infected by HIV as
• If you have unprotected Sex with someone who has HIV. The virus can be in an infected person’s blood, semen, or vaginal secretions. It can also enter your body through tiny cuts or sores in your skin, or in the lining of your vagina, penis, rectum, or mouth.
• If you share a needle and syringe to inject drugs or share drug equipment used to prepare drugs for injection with someone who has HIV.
• If you had a blood transfusion or blood clotting factor that you got before
1985. As all blood in the United States have been tested for HIV since 1985.How can you protect yourself from HIV?
• Make a mature move, both the partners should not hesitate to go for HIV test
• If you are pregnant then have an HIV test.
• Make sure to use condoms.
AIDS - the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - is a disease you get when HIV destroys your body’s immune system. Normally, your immune system helps you fight off illness. When your immune system fails you can become very sick and can die.
An HIV-infected person receives a diagnosis of AIDS after developing one of the defined AIDS indicator illnesses, (opportunistic infection). A positive HIV test result does not mean that a person has AIDS. A diagnosis of AIDS is made by a physician using certain clinical criteria. There is no cure for AIDS. There are anti drugs now available that can slow down the virus, and slow down the damage to your immune system. These drugs have also helped reduce the overall rates of opportunistic infections in people with AIDS.
Know How to Enjoy Safe SEX and Prevent AIDS
It is said that a boy gets infected by HIV if he eats “PaniPuri / sandwiches” or any other food of infected person. But believe me this is 100% wrong, there’s nothing to do HIV with eating. Also rumors were around that if somebody got pricked by an HIV infected needle, he/she may also suffer from HIV.
But now let me bring the real picture to you, HIV is a disease which spreads only through blood or semen. You might even be surprised to know that having oral sex does not harm any person even if HIV-infected patient coughs and another person is exposed to his sputum (cough). It is quite interesting to know that, the virus still can not transmit because concentration of virus particles in sputum is almost NIL & exposure to air anyway kills virus in fraction of seconds.
And in case the HIV person gets any injury like cut or anything else, you are not going to get infected by the blood until unless the bleeding is very high. HIV viruses cannot survive in any liquid other than blood or semen, and that if it exists in blood, HIV can only exist for fraction seconds only.
Exposure of less than 1 second in AIR KILLS the HIV virus (story of needle pricks in Cinema theatres goes down the drain). Even if the blood from a wound (of infected person) dries up (blood clot), the virus dies and can not infect anyone else HIV transmission is ONLY an INFECTION i.e. entrance of virus in one’s body. It DOES NOT MEAN AIDS.
An HIV-infected person (after entrance of virus) can progress to condition of AIDS only after “8 to 10 YEARS (not in 15 days as in the mentioned story) It is not HIV (virus) that kills a human”, but the virus attacks immune cells (cells that fight against foreign pathogens/antigens) and hence a person’s ability to fight against infections & diseases slowly diminishes and person ultimately dies of a disease which could be as simple as TB.
Most importantly, HIV is no longer dreadful disease … it is a “CHRONIC MANAGEABLE DISEASE” just like Diabetes or Hypertension. If there is anything you need to be careful from to prevent HIV is Unsafe Sex, Blood Transfusion (check before taking) / Blood donation (use sterilized needles only) and any blood contact during an accident or so where amount of bleeding is very high.