How Easy is It to Contract Hiv Reddit
What Is HIV? Understanding Causes, Symptoms, Treatments and More
Human immunodeficiency virus, more ordinarily known as HIV, is a virus that, without handling, leads to deterioration of your body's allowed organisation to a point where your body has trouble fighting off mild infections. When your immune system has become severely damaged after a prolonged catamenia with HIV, it's known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS.
HIV is a bloodborne retrovirus that infects specific cells in the human immune system called CD4 T cells. CD4 cells normally play an important role in your immune organisation. They're responsible for detecting harmful pathogens like leaner and viruses so your body can brainstorm fighting off those pathogens.
There's no cure for HIV, and one time you contract information technology, the virus will remain in your trunk for life. Over time, if left untreated, HIV can progressively damage your immune system to a point where you become susceptible to AIDS-defining illnesses — infections and conditions that wouldn't usually brand y'all sick if your immune system was functioning properly.
In award of National HIV/AIDS & Aging Awareness Twenty-four hours, we're going to discuss the causes of, symptoms of, and treatments for HIV and AIDs.
Many people have no symptoms at all after initially becoming infected with HIV. However, most people do feel some non-specific symptoms within the first few weeks after infection. This means the symptoms are typical of many illnesses and don't immediately point to one specific condition equally their crusade. For HIV, non-specific symptoms include:
- Flu-like symptoms
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Headache
- Stiff or aching muscles
- Rash
- Mouth ulcers
- Sore throat
- Sweating at night
- Swollen lymph glands
Later on this initial illness, which is known as "seroconversion," almost people alive for many years without any symptoms until the virus has harmed their immune organization to a point where they first to become significantly more vulnerable to infections and illnesses.
HIV is present in the blood, pre-ejaculatory fluid, semen, vaginal fluid, rectal fluid, and chest milk of people with the virus. HIV can exist transmitted by:
- Sexual contact, including vaginal, anal, and oral sexual practice, and through the sharing of sex toys
- Sharing of needles, which nigh commonly occurs in groups of people who are using intravenous drugs
- Receiving a blood transfusion from an infected private; this rarely occurs in adult countries, as donor blood is normally screened for blood-borne viruses such as HIV
- Childbirth; HIV can be passed from the pregnant parent to the kid during pregnancy or childbirth
- Breastfeeding; HIV exists in breast milk and can be passed on to a child
In rare cases, HIV can likewise be spread by:
- Ingesting pre-chewed food from someone who has the virus; this is a common practice in some underdeveloped countries and is generally done to feed small children or elderly people
- Being bitten past someone or biting someone who has HIV
- Kissing, if in that location is bleeding within the oral fissure
- Undergoing body-modification procedures such equally tattoos or piercings if tools are not properly sterilized between clients
The vast majority of cases of HIV in the The states are acquired via sexual contact. HIV cannot be spread by:
- Air
- H2o
- Insect bites
- Saliva
- Sweat
- Tears
- Coincidental contact such equally shaking hands or hugging
Diagnosing HIV
HIV is usually diagnosed via a blood test. The virtually accurate and reliable test is known equally a 4th-generation exam. It checks for both a specific part of the HIV viral structure (chosen the p24 antigen) and your ain body'southward response to the infection (HIV antibodies).
Point-of-care tests are also bachelor, and they differ from fourth-generation tests. These take a small-scale sample of saliva or claret and provide a result in less than an hour. Withal, these are less sensitive and may not pick up all cases of HIV due to the smaller concentration of antibodies in the saliva or small-scale blood sample. You should e'er follow up a point-of-care result with a confirmatory laboratory test. There are also self-sampling and home-testing kits available.
Any positive issue is usually repeated to check information technology wasn't a rare fake-positive. If you're diagnosed with HIV, you'll exist referred to a specialist HIV heart to hash out handling correct away.
HIV has a window period, meaning information technology can take a certain length of time for a test to be able to detect the virus in your body. Many newer tests can make up one's mind results in 99% of people 45 days following their potential exposure. If you lot recollect you might have been exposed to HIV, it may not show up in a blood examination for 45 days. Point-of-care testing and at-home testing can have an even longer window menses, sometimes lasting up to 12 weeks.
Treatment for HIV
There is no cure for HIV, but the infection can be managed, allowing people with the virus to lead long and normal lives. Treatment for HIV commonly involves a number of dissimilar antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. The virus requires an enzyme called protease in order to replicate, so handling will involve protease inhibitors equally well every bit ARV drugs. This combination of medications is called highly active antiretroviral treatment, or HAART.
The aim of treatment is to reduce the level of circulating virus particles in your trunk to a point where HIV is no longer detectable. This means that the virus is at such low levels that it won't cause nearly as much damage to your immune system, and you probable won't be able to transmit it to anyone. Undetectable means untransmissable. Many people reach this level inside six months of handling.
HIV drugs, like whatever medication, can crusade side furnishings, such equally nausea, diarrhea, headache and rash. Some people experience long-term side effects, such as changes in blood cholesterol levels or interference with liver or kidney operation. You'll be regularly monitored for these side effects once you start medication therapy.
How well the treatment is working is monitored by 2 parameters: the HIV viral load, significant how many viral particles are present in your blood, and the CD4 count, which is a mensurate of how much the HIV virus has damaged specific blood cells of your immune arrangement.
Post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, is a set of medications that you lot can accept very soon afterward potential exposure to HIV. In most cases, these drugs can prevent infection from occurring. This treatment should only be used in an emergency and must be taken within 72 hours of exposure. PEP is ordinarily taken for a catamenia of 28 days.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP (bachelor under the brand names Truvada® and Descovy®), is a medication that you tin take if you're at loftier risk of contracting HIV. These drugs tin protect you from acquiring an infection with the virus. Yous tin can take PrEP daily or "on demand," in which you have the medication right earlier y'all could potentially be exposed to the virus.
HIV Prognosis
HIV is a chronic status that currently has no cure, simply people with the virus have enough of constructive options for managing the condition and living comfortably. Without treatment, about every HIV patient will go on to develop AIDS. Withal, when doctors detect HIV early and begin providing prompt treatment, the prognosis for people with HIV is very good. Nowadays, someone who's diagnosed early with a high CD4 count has the same life expectancy as someone without HIV. However, people with HIV do appear to develop some other conditions at before ages than those without HIV — including cardiovascular disease, kidney affliction, lung disease, diabetes and cancer — which may equate to differences in quality of life.
If someone doesn't become treatment early, the virus volition progress and weaken their immune organization, which may cause more than complications afterward in life. However, treatment can still be effective, no matter when the virus is diagnosed.
There'due south a very small group of people who, despite having HIV in their bodies, never develop AIDS. These patients are called "long-term nonprogressors," and information technology's not clear what makes them resistant to the furnishings of HIV.
The best mode to forestall the spread of HIV is to practice condom sex, equally this is how most cases are transmitted. Consequent and correct condom apply can forestall the spread of the virus. Sharing needles when misusing injectable drugs is another mutual grade of transmission, and information technology's of import to never share another person'south needles or injecting equipment. If y'all're looking for help in overcoming drug addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Assistants National Helpline at i-800-662-4357 for gratis and confidential counseling.
HIV can be transmitted from a pregnant parent to their unborn child, and so it's of import if y'all have HIV and become pregnant to inform your obstetrician immediately. They can help yous accept steps to reduce the risk of spreading the disease to your unborn baby. Consider the use of PrEP to prevent infection conquering if yous're unable to avoid potential contact with HIV.
Resources Links:
https://world wide web.cdc.gov/hiv/default.html
https://www.fpa.org.great britain/sites/default/files/hiv-data-and-advice.pdf
https://www.aidsmap.com/news/mar-2020/yes-aforementioned-life-expectancy-hiv-negative-people-far-fewer-years-good-health
https://www.nhs.uk/weather/hiv-and-aids/
https://medlineplus.gov/hivaids.html
https://bestpractice.bmj.com/patient-leaflets/en-gb/pdf/3000138/HIV%3A%20what%20is%20it%3F.pdf
https://www.tht.org.uk/hiv-and-sexual-health
https://world wide web.hiv.gov/hiv-nuts
bergmannhincir1988.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.symptomfind.com/health-conditions/hiv-condition?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740013%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex&ueid=1dc7af42-e145-4738-b760-e5a0226abfd6
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