AIDS & HIV |
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What is HIV?
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency
Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).
HIV damages the body's immune system. The Immune system protects the body from
disease. People who have HIV in their bodies are said to have HIV infection
or be HIV-Positive. Usually a person has the virus for months or years before
any signs of illness appear.
What is AIDS?
AIDS is the stage of HIV disease when an HIV-Positive person gets very weak,
and progresses to full-blown AIDS. The virus primarily attacks the body's immune
system, but can also damage the brain and nerve cells. HIV attacks and destroys
the white blood cells crucial to the body's immune system and severely weakens
its ability to fight off infections and cancers. Although they can live, quality
of life is reduced. Most people who develop AIDS usually die from an infection
caused by the AIDS virus effect on their immunity.
As the AIDS infection progresses and the immune system weakens, symptoms become apparent. Symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit and/or groin area
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Chronic diarrhea
- Skin rashes.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis is made on the results of a physical examination and testing. Testing
may be either serum blood test or done with OraSure (OraSure is an oral specimen
collection device requiring no blood or needles). Both testing methods provide
greater than 99% accuracy. The initial test is for the presence of the HIV virus.
Once the HIV virus is confirmed the tests are for plasma HIV RNA, (viral load),
CD4 and T cell counts.
Viral load tests measure the level of the virus in the blood; the higher the level the faster the HIV virus is progressing towards full-blown AIDS. The CD4 cells are the white blood cells that protect the body from disease and they are the cells that the HIV virus attacks. A low CD4 count indicates that the virus has been successful in attacking these cells. A good result would be a high CD4 count and a low viral load level.
Many people have AIDS without symptoms and stay well for a long period that could range from 10 to 15 years or longer. The only sign of AIDS may be a positive test for HIV.
TREATMENT:
Improvements in drug therapies have translated directly into prolonged life
spans for many people with HIV and AIDS. The guidelines for the treatment of
HIV infected adults and Adolescents call for most people living with HIV, many
of whom are asymptomatic, to be treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy
(HAART) for the rest of their lives. The ability of the patient to adhere to
the regimen is essential to the potential benefit of treatment. Poor adherence
will lead to the development of drug resistance, limiting the effectiveness
of therapy.
There are currently several FDA (Federal Food and Drug Administration) approved drugs for treatment of AIDS in the United States and new ones are being added as approval is granted. The drugs fall into three general categories - Non- nucleoside reverse transcriplase inhibitors, Nucleoside analogues and Protease inhibitors. The availability of an increasing number of antiretroviral agents and the rapid development of new information has introduced incredible complexity into the treatment of HIV-infected persons.
Decisions regarding initiation or changes in antiretroviral therapy should be guided by monitoring the laboratory parameters for plasma HIV RNA (viral load), CD4+ T Cell counts and HIV drug resistance testing. The clinical condition of the patient also needs to be monitored. The drugs' effectiveness and tolerability vary widely among people.
TRANSMISSION:
Significant research and documented
cases of HIV infection support that HIV is transmitted via 4 human body fluids:
Blood, Semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk (before and after childbirth).
People get HIV from infected people through contact with these fluids. Contact
can come from unsafe sex. It can also come from used needles and syringes. Infected
women can pass the virus to their babies during pregnancy, childbirth and breast-feeding.
Some people who received blood products from 1978 to 1985 got infected blood.
Now blood banks test all blood for HIV before they use it.
AIDS PREVENTION:
- Sexual abstinence -The act of voluntarily doing without sex.
- Celibacy - the act of abstaining from sex.
- Mutual faithfulness to your partner for life.
- Long-standing mutually monogamous relationships help reduce the risk of AIDS transmission.
- Avoid using intravenous (IV) drugs, sharing needles or having sex with an IV drug user.
- Condoms help reduce the risk of transmitting AIDS, but cannot afford 100% protection.
- Insist on an HIV antibody test if your partner has a past history of IV drug use or many sex partners.
- If you suspect you might be infected with the HIV virus seek medical attention and testing. Counseling and treatment can then begin, if necessary.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT AIDS OR HIV . . .
- CALL the AIDS Factline 1-800-662-6080
- ON THE INTERNET, GO TO:
Mayo Clinic - HIV/AIDS
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=32278E96-F109-4807-8738841CD620091B
HIV - Tools
http://www.hivtools.lshtm.ac.uk/
AIDS Education Global Information
System
http://www.aegis.com
The National Women's Health Information Center- HIV/AIDS
http://www.4woman.gov/hiv/what/
Safe Sex and Prevention-HIV/AIDS
http://www.thebody.com/safesex.html
Aetna Intelihealth - Harvard Medical School
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/8776/8776.html?k=navx408x8776
Dr. C. Everett Koop
http://www.drkoop.com/channel/93/12109.html