The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) weakens your immune system, leaving you susceptible to many infections and illnesses. If you test positive, it is best to be treated as early as possible to have better odds of living a long healthy life.
OVERVIEW
What is HIV?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It attacks and destroys your body's immune cells, making it hard for you to fight off other diseases. When the virus has severely weakened your immune system, it can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
HIV works backward to insert its instructions into your DNA, so it's called a retrovirus.
What is AIDS?
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People with AIDS have very low counts of certain white blood cells and severely damaged immune systems. They may have additional illnesses that indicate that they have progressed to the final stage of an HIV infection.
Without treatment, people with HIV infections develop AIDS in about 10 years.
How do you distinguish between HIV and AIDS?
After being infected with the HIV virus, your body has a hard time fighting off infections. After enough time it becomes harder to fight even common illnesses. This is why people are diagnosed with AIDS once their immune system begins to fail.
Since it is possible to become infected with HIV without ever having the disease, it is important to realize that not everyone who contracts HIV will develop AIDS. Thanks to treatment that slows down the effects of the virus, not everyone with HIV progresses to AIDS. But without treatment, almost all people living with HIV will advance to AIDS.
How does HIV affect the body?
HIV attacks the white blood cells of the immune system, or CD4 cells. It destroys these cells, causing a decline in the number of CD4 cells in your body. This leaves you with an immune system that is not able to fight off infections that would not normally cause illness; therefore, you can become ill with diseases that were previously harmless.
HIV initially causes flu-like symptoms. It may then hide in your body without causing noticeable symptoms for a long time. Over time, this process can lead to destruction of your T cells, which are essential for fighting off infections and other diseases. When this happens and you begin to get certain illnesses that people with healthy immune systems do not get, HIV has progressed to AIDS.
AIDS can cause rapid weight loss, extreme tiredness, mouth or genital ulcers, fevers, night sweats and skin discolorations. In addition to these symptoms, other illnesses and cancers often occur in people living with AIDS and can also cause additional symptoms.
What’s a retrovirus?
A retrovirus is a virus that works in reverse of the way human cells do. Human cells have instructions (DNA) that send a message (RNA) to make building blocks for your body (proteins), but retroviruses work backward from this process.
Retroviruses, unlike most other viruses, have their instructions written on RNA. When a retrovirus invades your cells, it changes its RNA to look like your cells' DNA (genetic information). Then it cuts your cells' DNA and inserts its own genetic information into them. Your cell then acts as though the virus's genetic instructions are its own.
HIV is a Retrovirus, a virus that invades cells and uses the cell's machinery to make more copies of itself. HIV not only uses your cells to make more of itself but also inserts its DNA into your DNA.
Who does HIV affect?
It is a myth that only certain people are infected with HIV. Anybody can get HIV if they are exposed to the virus. Having sex without a condom or sharing needles to inject drugs are the most common ways that HIV spreads.
Some populations are statistically more affected by HIV than others. Groups disproportionately affected by HIV include:
- People who identify as gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (MSM).
- Certain races such as people who are Black or Hispanic.
- Those who exchange sex for money or other items are also at high risk for HIV infection.
While HIV is not exclusive to any particular population, there are several populations that are especially vulnerable to contracting the virus. These groups have unique barriers to accessing preventative care, getting tested, and receiving comprehensive treatment. Homophobia, racism, poverty, and social stigmas around HIV continue to drive inequities and keep people from accessing high-quality healthcare.
How common is HIV?
on the grounds that the beginning of the epidemic, eighty four.2 million [64.0–113.0 million] people were inflamed with the HIV virus and approximately 40.1 million [33.6–48.6 million] humans have died of HIV.
Globally, 38.four million [33.9–43.8 million] human beings had been dwelling with HIV on the cease of 2021. An expected 0.7% [0.6-0.8%] of adults elderly 15–49 years global are dwelling with HIV, despite the fact that the weight of the epidemic keeps to vary significantly among countries and regions.
The WHO African region remains maximum critically affected, with nearly 1 in every 25 adults (three.four%) dwelling with HIV and accounting for greater than -thirds of
SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES
What are the symptoms of HIV?
You can have HIV without having any symptoms. This is why it’s important to get tested even if you don’t feel sick.
Sometimes you’ll have flu-like symptoms when you first get infected with HIV. These can include:
- Fever.
- Chills.
- Fatigue.
- Sore throat.
- Muscle aches.
- Night sweats.
- Rash.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Mouth sores.
What are the stages of HIV?
Stage 1: Acute HIV
A few humans get flu-like signs and symptoms a month or once they’ve been infected with HIV. those symptoms frequently depart inside every week to a month.
Stage 2: Chronic stage/clinical latency
Stage 3: AIDS
AIDS is the most severe degree of HIV infection. on this stage, HIV has seriously weakened your immune system and opportunistic infections are much more likely to make you ill.
Opportunistic infections are ones that someone with a healthful immune gadget should commonly combat off. while HIV has advanced to AIDS, these ailments take benefit of your weakened immune machine.
You’re much more likely to get positive cancers if you have AIDS. those cancers and opportunistic infections together are known as AIDS-defining illnesses.
To be diagnosed with AIDS, you must be infected with HIV and have at least one of the following:
- Fewer than 200 CD4 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (200 cells/mm3).
- An AIDS-defining illness.
What are AIDS-defining illnesses?
AIDS-defining illnesses are opportunistic infections, certain cancers (usually caused by viruses) and some neurological conditions. They include:
- Burkitt lymphoma.
- Candidiasis of bronchi, esophagus, trachea or lungs.
- Chronic intestinal isosporiasis (cystoisosporiasis) that lasts more than a month.
- Coccidioidomycosis, spread outside of your lungs (disseminated/extrapulmonary).
- Chronic intestinal cryptosporidiosis (lasting more than a month).
- Cytomegalovirus disease (other than liver, spleen or lymph nodes), onset at age older than one month.
- Cytomegalovirus retinitis (with loss of vision).
- Encephalopathy attributed to HIV.
- Extrapulmonary cryptococcosis.
- Herpes simplex ulcers (lasting more than a month).
- Herpes simplex bronchitis, pneumonitis or esophagitis (onset at age older than one month).
- Histoplasmosis spread outside the lungs (disseminated/extrapulmonary).
- HIV wasting syndrome.
- Invasive cervical cancer.
- Immunoblastic Lymphoma.
- Kaposi sarcoma.
- Multiple or recurrent bacterial infections.
- Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), spread outside the lungs (disseminated/extrapulmonary).
- Mycobacterium kansasii, spread outside the lungs (disseminated/extrapulmonary).
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis of any site.
- Mycobacterium, other species or unidentified species, spread outside the lungs (disseminated/extrapulmonary).
- Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia.
- Primary lymphoma of the brain.
- Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
- Recurrent pneumonia.
- Recurrent Salmonella septicemia (nontyphoid).
- Toxoplasmosis of the brain (onset at age older than one month).
What are the symptoms of AIDS?
signs and symptoms of AIDS can be because of HIV infection, but many are from ailments that take advantage of your weakened immune device.
How is HIV/AIDS caused?
HIV is as a result of the human immunodeficiency virus. The virus assaults the helper T-cells of your immune machine, leaving it weakened.
AIDS is because of having too few immune cells to fight off other ailments.
How does HIV spread?
you can get HIV through the blood, semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk and rectal fluids of an infected character. human beings of all sexes and sexual orientations can get inflamed with and unfold HIV.
The virus can input your body through your mouth, anus, penis, vagina or damaged skin. it can't get thru your skin unless you've got a reduce or wound. Pregnant people with HIV can also deliver it to their toddlers.
Having sex with out a condom and sharing needles to take capsules are the most common methods that HIV spreads. Even if you sense best, you may nevertheless deliver HIV to others.
Can you get HIV from kissing?
considering HIV is not spread thru spit, kissing isn't a common way to get inflamed. In sure conditions in which other body fluids are shared, such as if each humans have open sores of their mouths or bleeding gums, there is a risk you could get HIV from deep, open-mouthed kissing.
You also don’t get HIV from:
- Touching or hugging someone who has HIV/AIDS.
- Public bathrooms or swimming pools.
- Sharing cups, utensils or telephones with someone who has HIV/AIDS.
- Bug bites.
- Donating blood.
How can I know if I have HIV?
you could’t tell if someone has HIV simply with the aid of looking at them, and you can now not have any symptoms if you’re inflamed by way of HIV. The handiest way to know if you have HIV is to take an HIV test.
due to the fact nearly 1 out of 7 people with HIV don’t understand it, the indian facilities for ailment manage & Prevention recommends screening people between the a while of thirteen to sixty four as a minimum once as part of habitual healthcare. This test is voluntary and exclusive.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS
How is HIV diagnosed?
HIV is diagnosed with either a test of your blood or your spit (saliva). You can take a test at home, in a healthcare provider’s office or at a location that provides testing in your community.
If your test comes back negative, no further testing is required if:
- You haven’t had a possible exposure in the previous three months before testing with any kind of test.
- You haven’t had a possible exposure within the window period for a test done with a blood draw. (Ask your healthcare provider if you are unsure what the window period is for a test you took.)
If you have had a possible exposure within three months of testing, you should consider retesting to confirm the negative result.
If your test comes back positive, the lab may do follow-up tests to confirm the result.
What tests diagnose HIV?
There are three types of HIV tests: antigen/antibody tests, antibody tests and nucleic acid tests (NATs):
Antigen/antibody tests
Antigen tests search for markers at the floor of HIV referred to as p24. Antibody checks look for chemicals your body makes while it reacts to those markers. HIV antigen/antibody exams look for both.
A healthcare issuer will take a small sample of blood from your arm with a needle. The blood is sent to a lab and examined for p24 and antibodies to it. An antigen/antibody check is typically capable of hit upon HIV in 18 to 45 days after exposure.
A rapid antigen/antibody test will also be carried out with a finger prick to draw blood. You will need to wait as a minimum 18 days after exposure for this sort of check on the way to detect HIV. you can need to take the test as much as ninety days after publicity for correct outcomes. ("rapid" refers to the quantity of time it takes to get test outcomes, no longer the amount of time after publicity it takes to come across the virus.)
Antibody tests
these tests search for antibodies to HIV for your blood or saliva. this may be carried out with a blood draw from your arm, a finger prick or with a stick which you rub to your gums to accumulate saliva.
An antibody check can take 23 to 90 days after publicity to discover HIV. Antibody tests performed with a blood draw can discover HIV sooner than those finished with saliva or blood from a finger prick.
Nucleic acid tests (NATs)
NATs look for the HIV virus on your blood. A healthcare company will take a small pattern of blood out of your arm with a needle. The blood then is despatched to a lab and examined for HIV.
A NAT can usually locate HIV 10 to 33 days after publicity. word that this test isn’t frequently used unless you've got had a high-threat exposure.
in case your test comes lower back high quality, your healthcare provider is probably to advocate other tests to assess your fitness. these may additionally encompass a whole blood remember (CBC), along with:
- Viral hepatitis screening.
- Chest X-ray.
- Pap smear.
- CD4 count.
- Tuberculosis.
Are there at-home tests for HIV?
yes, there are at-home HIV check kits. a few are rapid assessments, wherein you operate a stick with a smooth, bendy tip to rub your gums. then you definately placed the stick in a tube with a unique way to get your effects. consequences show up in 15 to twenty mins.
other at-domestic tests use a tool to prick your finger with a small needle. You put a drop of blood on a card and send the check package thru the mail to a lab to get your results.
if your at-domestic check end result is effective, you need to touch your healthcare issuer for added testing to confirm your end result.
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT
Is there a cure for HIV?
There is currently no cure for HIV, but there are many treatment options that can slow the progression of HIV significantly.
How is HIV treated?
Medications used to treat HIV
- Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs).
- Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs).
- Protease inhibitors (PIs).
- Fusion inhibitors.
- CCR5 antagonists.
- Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs).
- Attachment inhibitors.
- Post-attachment inhibitors.
- Pharmacokinetic enhancers.
- Combination of HIV medicines.
How can I take care of myself while living with HIV?
it's very crucial to take your medications as prescribed and to make certain you don’t miss appointments. that is known as treatment adherence.
if you omit medications, even by means of coincidence, HIV can alternate the way it infects your cells (mutate), potentially inflicting your medicinal drugs to stop operating. if your agenda prevents you from taking medicines on time or making it to appointments, communicate for your healthcare provider.
PREVENTION
How can I reduce my risk of getting HIV?
The best way to reduce your risk of HIV is to be aware of how it spreads and protect yourself during certain activities. Having sex without a condom and sharing needles to take drugs are the most common ways that HIV spreads.
These are some ways to reduce your risk:
- Use latex condoms (rubbers) whenever you have any type of sex (vaginal, anal or oral).
- Don't use condoms made from animal products (like lambskin).
- Use water-based lubricants (lotion).
- Never share needles to take drugs.
- Get tested and treated for other STIs. Other STIs can put you at higher risk for an HIV infection.
- Avoid getting drunk or high. Intoxicated people might be less likely to protect themselves.
- If you are at high risk of HIV exposure, ask your healthcare provider if you should be taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
- If you think you’ve been exposed to HIV, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible to see if you should take post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
- Consider getting tested to know if you can pass HIV to others.
It's important to use a condom correctly to protect yourself against HIV. Use a male condom for any sex act that involves your penis.
You can also protect the vagina or anus with dental dams or internal condoms. Dental dams are flat pieces of polyurethane or latex that you can put over your vagina or anus if you are having oral sex. An internal condom (also called a female condom) can be used by insertion into your vagina or anus.
You should only use one type of condom at a time. Do not use both a male condom and an internal condom.
PROGNOSIS
What can I expect if I have HIV?
in case you’re identified with HIV, it’s vital to recognize that those living with HIV who follow treatment pointers can live full lives for almost as long as those without HIV.
when you have a excessive CD4 count and an undetectable viral load inside a yr of starting remedy, research shows you’ll have the quality results, as long as you continue your remedy plan.
You can improve your outlook by:
- Getting tested as part of routine healthcare or if you think you’ve been exposed.
- Starting ART soon after being diagnosed.
- Taking your medicine every day.
- Keeping your appointments with your healthcare team.
art can hold blood stages undetectable however can’t completely rid your body of the virus (which remains inactive to your cells). in case you don’t take your medicinal drug every day, the virus can begin multiplying again and mutate, which may also motive your medications to forestall working.
Left untreated, it could take about 10 years for HIV to boost to AIDS. in case you progress to AIDS and it goes untreated, you could count on to stay about three years more.
For those on treatment, if you have a excessive CD4 rely and undetectable viral load inside a yr of starting remedy, you can assume to live approximately as long as someone without HIV. if you have a low CD4 count or a detectable viral load within a 12 months of beginning treatment, you may live 10 to 20 years less than a person with out HIV.
Does HIV leave?
HIV doesn’t depart on its personal. It inserts itself into your DNA so your cells assume that it’s a part of you. There may be a few years without signs and symptoms after preliminary infection, but HIV can still be damaging your immune machine even in case you don’t sense ill.
There can be periods whilst on medicine in which the virus is not detectable by using an HIV test. In these instances, HIV may be hiding in your frame, undetected. it could “wake up” and begin destroying your cells once more in the future.
this is why continuing to take HIV remedy, even in case you don’t experience ill or the virus is undetectable, is extraordinarily crucial. with out remedy, HIV will weaken your immune system till you could’t fight off different critical illnesses.
LIVING WITH
How do I take care of myself with HIV?
The best way to take care of yourself while living with HIV is to follow your treatment plan.
- Make sure to take your medications as prescribed and on time.
- Show up to all appointments so your healthcare team can monitor how you’re feeling and know if there’s a need to adjust your treatment.
- Follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations on how to avoid additional illnesses.
If i have HIV, how am i able to hold from spreading it to others?
The best ways to keep from spreading HIV to others are many of the same ways you use to protect yourself:
- Let sexual partners and anyone you inject drugs with know that you have HIV.
- Follow your treatment plan and don’t miss medications. If you have an undetectable viral load, you greatly reduce the risk of transmitting HIV through sex.
- Talk to your sexual partner about taking PrEP.
- Wear condoms for vaginal, anal and oral sex — even if you have an undetectable viral load.
- Don’t share needles or other equipment to inject drugs.
- Limit the number of sexual partners you have.
- If you’re pregnant and have HIV, following your treatment plan, including ART medications, can reduce your risk of transmitting the virus to your child.
Can I get pregnant if I have HIV?
A few people think that HIV hurts your possibilities of having pregnant, however this isn’t genuine. if you have HIV and want to become pregnant, talk for your healthcare issuer. collectively you could make a plan earlier than you attempt to get pregnant to keep you, your associate and any future children healthy.
HIV can spread on your partner at some point of unprotected sex and in your child in the course of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. Taking artwork medicinal drugs can substantially lessen your chance of transmitting HIV to your toddler, specially if you have an undetectable viral load. Your issuer may recommend which you don’t breastfeed your baby and use system as a substitute.
When should I see my healthcare provider?
call your healthcare provider at once if you suppose you’ve been uncovered to HIV. it's far important to start remedy as soon as possible in case you do have HIV.
in case you already recognise you've got HIV, you need to observe your healthcare issuer’s instructions on whilst to name. it's miles vital to deal with any sort of infection, so name if you have new signs and symptoms like fever, night sweats, diarrhea or anything else that worries you.
What questions should I ask my doctor?
- Am I at high risk for HIV?
- What can I do to reduce my risk of HIV?
- How can I make sure I take my medications correctly?
- What can I do to protect myself from other illnesses?
- How can prevent the spread of HIV?
- What do my test results mean?
- What do my blood counts mean?
- What vaccinations should I get?
Privious Post:
References :
•Merck Manuals. Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV) Infection.
•center for disease control and prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/statistics/overview/ataglance.html)
•U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HIV.gov.(HIV.gov)
•U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Women’s Health. Pregnancy and HIV.(https://www.womenshealth.gov/hiv-and-aids/living-hiv/pregnancy-and-hiv)
•who(https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/)
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