Saturday 4 July 2015

What is AIDS





What is AIDS?

AIDS stands for “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome”. It is caused by the HIV virus which weakens the immune System (body’s defense mechanism) and makes a person susceptible to all kinds of infections.

How is HIV Transmitted?

HIV can be contracted by the following ways: During sexual intercourse with an infected person (vaginal,oral and anal).


             During transfusion of an infected blood
             By the use of contaminated and unsterilized sharp instruments such as syringes.
             From infected mother to child during pregnancy, child birth
             or breast feeding.


How is HIV not transmitted?

             HIV cannot be transmitted by
             Mosquito bites
             Handshake with an infected person
             Cloths
             Sharing toilet seats with an infected person
             Hugging an infected person
             Eating or playing with an infected person

HIV and mosquitoes

For an infectious agent to be transmitted by a mosquito from one person to another, it must remain viable inside the mosquito. This is however not true for the AIDS virus as the mosquitoes treats the virus as food which is digested along with the blood meal. 70 to 80% of HIV infected persons have undetectable virus particles in their blood. Calculations have shown that a mosquito that is interrupted while feeding on a HIV carrier circulating 1000 units of virus has a 1: 10 million probability of injecting a single unit to an HIV free recipient, that is to say an individual has to be bitten by 10 million mosquitoes that has begun feeding on a HIV carrier to be infected.
Furthermore, the mechanism utilized by mosquitoes during feeding
differs greatly from the mechanism employed by the drug user’s needle. This is because it delivers salivary fluid through one passage and draw blood up another as such the food canal is not flushed like a used needle and blood flow is unidirectional. In simple language mosquitoes do not transmit HIV.

HIV and Kissing


Although the risk of transmission is very low, the presence of sores or abrasions on the mouth could make that “simple kiss” deadly. This is because the virus is present in all body fluids although in varying concentration.

Diagnosis

This is usually carried out using immunochromatographic strips which determines the presence of the antibodies in the bloodstream (ELISA).This test is usually confidential and often requires the consent of the individual after proper counselling.Other methods include western blot and the use of the PCR machine.


Signs and Symptoms

When an individual is infected with the virus that does not imply that he or she has AIDS. The individual is simply HIV infected. AIDS which is the final stage of the infection has the following symptoms.

1. Prolong diarrhea
2. Oral thrush
3. Lymph gland enlargement
4. Persistent fever
5. Persistent cough
6. Skin infections
7. Unexplained weight loss


Phases
There are four phases of the infections,

Window period: This could last for about 3-6 months after-exposure to the virus. During this period laboratory diagnosis often
appear negative.


Healthy stage: During this period an individual appears healthy and may remain so for 3-10 years this is however dependent on nutrition and lifestyle.


Unhealthy stage: During this period the individual fall sick very often as the virus weakens the immune system.

Full blown AIDS: This is the final stage of the infection. It has duration of 12-24 months.

Prevention

The best and safest means of preventing HIV infection is ABSTINENCE from sexual intercourse for unmarried people and FAITHFULNESS among married couples.


Condom and HIV

Some researchers have argued that condoms do not prevent the transmission of HIV. Their argument is based on the size of the virus. They argue that because of the minute size of the virus (0.1 microns or 4 billionth of an inch) it could easily pass through the pores of the condom which is about 450 microns in size.
On the other hand, most researchers agree that since the virus is transmitted via a medium which cannot breach the integrity of the condom then condoms do prevent HIV transmission.

Nevertheless, it is generally agreed that a ruptured or leaking condom is a health risk that those who belong to the famous “I no fit hold body” club must face.

Whichever side of the divide you belong, it is advised that you fully explore the option of abstinence which is the safest means of prevention before resorting to condoms.


Microbicides

These are substances that will be available as creams, gels, films, suppositories or vaginal rings, which if applied vaginally have the ability to reduce the risk of HIV and STIs transmission during sexual intercourse. Some microbicides under development can also act as spermicide which kills sperm cells providing a relative contraceptive cover in the process.


Treatment and Cure


As a cure for AIDS continues to elude Scientists, Antiretroviral drugs continue to play a very important role in the treatment of AIDS patients, reducing the viral load and making treatment for opportunistic infections less complicated.
Despite claims both locally and internationally, a curative therapy does not appear to be in sight. However, the Pugnacious claim that sex with virgins can cure AIDS is the greatest deception of the 21stcentury.




SUPPORTIVELY CARING




Imabong committed suicide because of the rejection she suffered as a result of her HIV status; isolated by her family, rejected by her friends and treated like a leper at work was more than she could bear.
When I met Luke in February of 2007, he had not eaten for 2 days; dehydrated and completely emaciated, he could barely utter a word. Abandoned to his fate in a one room apartment, Luke prayed for death but it never came.

The commercial drivers he recruited to run his small transport business moved to other cities with his buses leaving him with almost nothing.
As humanity confronts the AIDS pandemic stigmatization, misery and isolation appears to have taken center stage. While it is true that about 90% of HIV infection occur via the sexual route this must never be misconstrued for promiscuity. It is wrong to ascribe promiscuity to a woman who got infected on her matrimonial bed, a victim of rape who tested positive, or a victim of HIV infected blood transfusion. These people need love to overcome the fear, anger and regret. They need our care and support to move on with life.

The stigmatization and the excruciating pains of social alienation have compelled most victims to conceal their status while the malevolent ones continue to distribute the virus free of charge to
Unsuspecting men and women. We must be willing to change our attitude towards people living
with the virus if we are to make any meaningful progress in curtailing the spread of the disease. If most of us won’t seat on the same couch with someone who is infected, how do we expect other carriers to declare their status? Our perceptions notwithstanding, these people are still part of us and won’t disappear.

A planet without AIDS is possible, but to create that planet we must do away with the vestiges of the old planet where testing positive to the HIV virus effectively relegates an individual to the subclass of Human society.

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result, we therefore need a new direction if we must make any progress. While we must be bold enough to confront the ills in the society that promotes the spread of the disease, we must also remember that we ourselves are not perfect either.

Quote:

“HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake

their hands and give them a hug: Heaven knows they need it”
—Princess Diana