Don’t take risks when it comes to Aids
YESTERDAY was World Aids Day, an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against Aids, to show their support for people living with HIV, the Aids virus, and to remember those who have died from Aids.
More than 35 million people have died from Aids or HIV since the virus was first identified in 1984, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history. Today globally, an estimated 35 million people have the virus.
In Zimbabwe, the rate of new infections with HIV dropped dramatically by about 34% between 2005 and 2013, as a result of intensive education programmes. Nevertheless new infections continue. Although the HIV prevalence rate in Zimbabwe has dropped to 15%, this is the fifth highest rate in subSaharan Africa.
It is estimated that about 1,4 million people in Zimbabwe, including about 170 000 children, are living with HIV.
The search for a cure for Aids continues in a number of countries. Recently scientists in both Israel and Spain were hopeful that they might have found a cure.
In the meantime, anti-retroviral drugs are enabling many people infected with HIV to live normal lives. Although the anti-retroviral drugs are not a cure, they prolong life by slowing down the rate at which HIV weakens the body’s immune system.
HIV infection, though not easy to live with, is no longer the death sentence it was when it was first identified, thanks to the development of anti-retroviral drugs.
Drugs administered to HIV positive mothers have proved effective in preventing the transmission of the HIV virus to babies before or during birth.
Although from the outset health experts internationally said it took eight to 12 years for HIV to develop into Aids, many people in Zimbabwe diagnosed with HIV died within a fairly short period prior to the introduction of anti-retroviral drugs.
The fact that new infections continue would seem to suggest that more still needs to be done to educate young people in particular about the dangers of HIV infection, which is most commonly transmitted sexually.
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Aids stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
An HIV-positive person is diagnosed as having Aids after developing one of theAids indicator illnesses or on the basis of CD4 count blood tests.
A positive HIV test result does not mean that a person has Aids. The full blown disease takes time to develop from the initial HIV infection. A diagnosis of Aids is made by a physician.
Infection with HIV can weaken the body’s immune system to the point that it has difficulty fighting off infections. Some of these opportunistic infections can be life threatening.
As with other diseases, early detection offers more options for treatment and preventative health care. Diet, anti-retroviral drugs and regular monitoring of the CD4 blood cells make effective treatment possible, though they do not result in a cure.
HIV is transmitted from an infected person through bodily fluids, including through blood (including menstrual blood), semen and vaginal secretions. Blood contains the highest concentration of the virus.
Activities that allow HIV transmission include unprotected sexual contact, direct blood contact, sharing injection drug needles, transfusions of contaminated blood and accidents in health care settings.
Sexual intercourse may result in the virus infecting the mucous membranes directly or entering through cuts and sores causedduring intercourse, especially anal intercourse, or present as a result of another type of sexually transmitted disease.
Oral sex can also result in HIV transmission. However, the mouth is an inhospitable environment for HIV, meaning the risk of HIV transmission through the throat, gums, and oral membranes is lower than through vaginal or anal membranes.
Sharing injection needles poses a high risk, as infected blood from one person may pass directly into the blood stream of the other person.
Blood transfusions, where blood has not been screened for HIV, could result in the virus being directly transfused into another person’s bloodstream. However, blood from the National Blood Transfusion Service is screened for HIV and can be considered safe.
It is possible for an HIV-infected mother to pass the virus directly to her baby before or during birth, or through breast milk. Saliva, tears and sweat do not contain the virus.
HIV can cause a range of nervous system problems, from forgetfulness and balance problems to serious dementia. These problems usually do not show up until the later stages of HIV.
However, problems with verbal memory can show up even in people with no other symptoms. The new combination therapies that fight HIV seem to help protect the central nervous system against damage from the virus.
Opportunistic infections must be guarded against, if one has contracted HIV. These are infections that take advantage of weakness in the body’s immune system.
People carry many germs within their body, such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi and viruses. The body’s immune system, when it is working efficiently, controls these germs.
However, when the immune system is weakened by HIV or by some medications, these germs can get out of control and cause health problems.
People who are not HIV-infected can develop opportunistic infections, if their immune systems are damaged. For example, many drugs used to treat cancer suppress the immune system. Some people who are having cancer treatments can develop these infections.
HIV weakens the immune system so that opportunistic infections can develop. If a person is HIV-infected and develops opportunistic infections, that person is likely to have Aids.
In the early years of the Aids epidemic, opportunistic infections caused a lot of sickness and many deaths. Once people started taking strong antiretroviral therapy (ART), fewer people developed these infections.
Some of the most common of these infections are: candidiasis (thrush), which is a fungal infection of the mouth, throat, or vagina; cytomegalovirus (CMV), which is a viral infection that causes eye disease that can lead to blindness; and herpes simplex, which can cause oral herpes (cold sores) or genital herpes.
These are fairly common infections but, if a person has HIV, the outbreaks can be more frequent and more severe. They can occur at any CD4 cell count level.
Others include malaria as well as the mycobacterium avium complex (MAC or MAI),which is a bacterial infection that can cause recurring fevers, general sick feelings, problems with digestion and serious weight loss.
Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is also common. This is a fungal infection that can cause a fatal pneumonia.
Toxoplasmosis (Toxo), a protozoal infection of the brain, can also affect HIV positive people as well as tuberculosis (TB),which is a bacterial infection that attacks the lungs and can cause meningitis.
HIV infection is avoidable, particularly as it is most commonly transmitted in Zimbabwe through sexual intercourse between a man and a woman, where one partner is infected.
When people are in love they are likely to find it unthinkable that their partner could have HIV. It is safest to presume that he or she may have it,unless tests prove otherwise. Do not take risks. Becoming infected with HIV will affect the rest of your life.
The information in this article is provided as a public service by the Cimas iGo wellness programme, which is designed to promote good health. It is provided for general information only and should not be construed as medical advice. Readers should consult their doctor or clinic on any matter related to their health or the treatment of any health problem.