As of December 2015, 36.7 million people all over the world were living with HIV
Name
HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
Transmission
- HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system and weakens the body’s defense against infections and some types of cancer
- It spreads from person to person through bodily fluids such as:
- Blood
- Semen
- Pre-seminal fluid
- Rectal fluids
- Vaginal fluids
- Breast milk
- The most common ways it spreads are:
- Sexual contact (anal or vaginal)
- Sharing needles
- During pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding (from mother to child)
- Rarely, it can spread through:
- Oral sex
- Blood transfusions
- Organ/tissue transplants
- Being bitten by a person with HIV (extensive tissue damage must occur)
- Open-mouth kissing if both partners have sores or bleeding gums (HIV does not spread through saliva)
- HIV does not survive long outside the human body or on surfaces
- Without treatment, HIV becomes the disease known as AIDS
Geography
Worldwide (sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region)
Incubation Period
2 – 6 weeks after infection
Signs and Symptoms
The symptoms of HIV vary depending on the stage of infection:
Stage 1: Acute infection (highly infectious stage, can last a few days – several weeks)
- Fever
- Muscle pain
- Chills
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Fatigue
- Rash
- Mouth ulcers
- Night sweats
- Sore throat
Stage 2: HIV latency/chronic infection (can last from 2 years – 20+ years)
- Many people don’t have symptoms, or only have mild symptoms
Stage 3: AIDS (defined by the presence of “opportunistic” infections which take advantage of the weak immune system)
- Pneumonia
- Rapid weight loss
- Sores of the mouth, anus, or genitals
- Recurring fever
- Depression
- Skin rashes
- Extreme fatigue
- Sores/lesions on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids
- Long-lasting diarrhea
- Profuse night sweats
- Prolonged lymph gland swelling
- Memory loss
- Other neurological disorders
- Respiratory infections
The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested
Diagnosis
- Laboratory testing of blood samples
- During stage 1, the infection may not show up on an HIV test
Treatment
- There is no cure for HIV. Once you are infected, you have it for the rest of your life
- But daily medications called antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), help prolong the life of an infected person and reduce their chance of infecting others
- These medications control the replication of the virus in the body so that the immune system can strengthen and regain the ability to fight off infections
Prognosis
- Without treatment, HIV can make a person very sick and lead to death
- With medical care, the progression of HIV can be controlled
- Without treatment, people with AIDS typically survive about 3 years
- HIV/AIDS increases the chance of opportunistic infections and diseases such as:
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- Pneumonia
- Tuberculosis
- Hepatitis C
- The flu
- Cancer
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- Thrush/fungal infection
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- Opportunistic infections are the most common cause of death for people with HIV/AIDS
Prevention: What Can You Do?
- Use male or female condoms when having sex
- Limit your number of sex partners
- Don’t inject drugs or share needles
- Medical male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by ~ 60%
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If you think you’ve been exposed, you can get post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medication which can prevent HIV if started within 72 hours of the infection
- If your partner has HIV and you do not, use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) which are daily ARV medications that block HIV infection
HIV/AIDS In the News
- WHO issues new guidance on HIV self-testing ahead of World AIDS Day
- US disburses $3.4b to support Nigeria in eradicating HIV/AIDS virus
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/
http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/ntd/diseases/trachoma_burden.html
