People in relation to HIV infection can be divided into two groups: those who do not consider HIV a problem, continuing their usual way of life, and those who are too excited about their safety and are influenced by the flow of information from the media and other sources. As one group, the second one doesn’t do the right thing, because the infection has been well studied today, and experts can accurately say where the risk of infection is possible and where it is not. You should understand how HIV infection is transmitted and how it is not transmitted, in order to protect yourself from possible problems and not to bother your nerves once again.
In the body of a patient who is infected with HIV, the virus, the amount of which is enough to infect another person, is found in breast milk, vaginal secretions, in semen and in the blood. It is through these pathways that HIV infection can enter the body of a healthy person. How is the virus transmitted through sweat, saliva, urine, feces? No way. There are only three routes of transmission: sexual, vertical and parenteral.
HIV properties
HIV belongs to the group of unstable viruses and can die under the direct influence of ether, acetone or alcohol. The virus, located on the surface of healthy skin, is destroyed by bacteria and protective enzymes. Also, he is not inclined to tolerate high temperatures and dies, being about 30 minutes at 57 degrees Celsius or when boiling for one minute.
The difficulty in creating a cure and vaccine for HIV is that the virus is constantly changing.
HIV infection
Initially, the body responds to the invasion of the virus by producing antibodies. The period that passes from infection to the moment when the active production of antibodies begins, can last from three weeks to three months. In some cases, antibodies appear only six months after infection. This period is called the "period of the seroconversion window."
The latent or asymptomatic period can last from several months to 15 years. The disease at this stage does not manifest in any way. The infectious process develops after an asymptomatic period. The first sign that the disease is progressing is enlarged lymph nodes. After the stage of AIDS develops. The main symptoms of this period are: frequent or constant headache, unmotivated diarrhea, loss of appetite, drowsiness, malaise, fatigue, weight loss. Tumors and concomitant infections appear at a late stage, which are extremely difficult to cure.
The disease is associated with loss of immunity and is dangerous to human life, so it is important to know how HIV infection is transmitted. Symptoms that may appear after a few years are difficult to overcome and return to a normal lifestyle.
HIV diagnosis
An accurate diagnosis and the presence of the virus in the body cannot be made only by external signs. Here you need to conduct a blood test, which will indicate the presence of a viral load and antibodies to HIV. For this, HIV tests, ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), a polymer chain reaction, various rapid tests are carried out. Using this kind of research, you can establish the presence of the virus in the blood and the degree of its development.
You can do the test at any healthcare organization. You must first have a consultation. In the event of a positive result, the infected person should be provided primarily with emotional and psychological support and information on how to lead a further lifestyle. If the result is negative, then you need to talk with a person about how HIV infection is transmitted in everyday life. This will protect him from the possibility of infection.
HIV transmission options
This question should interest everyone who is worried about their health. HIV transmission occurs in only three ways, which are divided into artificial and natural. The first is sexual. The second is vertical. Its essence lies in the fact that the virus is transmitted directly from mother to child at birth (or to the fetus). These are natural ways.
The third way, which is usually referred to as artificial, is parenteral. In the latter case, infection can occur through blood transfusion, transplantation of organs or tissues, and intravenous injection with non-sterilized devices. The main condition for infection is the presence of a virus in one and its absence in another person.
Blood infection
A person can be infected with 1/10000 milliliters of blood that is not visible to the human eye. The incredibly small size of the virus allows 100 thousand particles to fit on a line with a length of only 1 cm. This is also dangerous HIV infection. How the virus is transmitted through the blood, one can imagine on the basis that if even the smallest part of the infected person’s blood gets into the blood of a healthy person, then the probability of infection is close to 100 percent. This can happen through donation, during transfusion of unverified donated blood.
HIV is transmitted through untreated medical or cosmetic items if they have already been used by an infected person. Most often, such situations occur when piercing the ears, applying tattoos, when piercing in non-specialized salons. The remains of another's blood can be invisible and remain even after washing with water. Tools must be treated with special tools or alcohol.
Once the HIV epidemic has begun to spread, the Ministry of Health strictly controls the work of medical staff. This applies to donation, sterilization of medical instruments, the general work of the staff. Therefore, the mechanism of transmission of HIV infection has already been thoroughly studied, therefore, in medical institutions the risk of infection is minimized.
The risk of becoming infected with the virus is high among intravenous drug users through blood-soaked common needles, syringes, filters, and other drug devices.
Sexually transmitted infection
Speaking about how HIV and AIDS are transmitted, one cannot but mention the most common way - sexual. The virus in the body of an infected person is found in large quantities in vaginal secretions and in seminal fluid. Any heterosexual unprotected sexual intercourse can lead to infection, and the mucous membrane of the genitals acts as a focus. The fact is that microdamages are formed on the mucous membrane during intercourse, through which the virus can freely penetrate and from there enter the circulatory system, other organs and tissues. The possibility of becoming infected with the virus increases with promiscuous sexual intercourse, with frequent changes in sexual partners, with non-use of condoms, and also in sexual contact with a partner who regularly uses drugs.
Infections that are transmitted sexually, today account for about 30. Many of them contribute to the development of various inflammatory diseases, which can also cause HIV infection. Most infections accompany inflammation and damage to the genital mucosa, which also contributes to the easy penetration of HIV into the body. Dangerous for infection and sexual intercourse during menstruation. The concentration of the virus has a much higher rate in semen than in vaginal discharge. Therefore, the probability of transmitting the virus from a woman to a man is lower than from a man to a woman.
Unprotected homosexual contacts are even more dangerous. Due to the fact that the mucosa of the rectum does not have devices for sexual intercourse, the risk of traumatic injuries in this area exceeds the possibility of damage to the vagina. Infection through the anus is more real due to the fact that it is plentifully supplied with blood. By the way, you can get infected through oral sexual contact, although here the probability is not as high as in previous cases.
Thus, with any sexual contact, HIV infection can enter the body. How is the virus transmitted and what are the ways to avoid infection? Simply streamline your sex life and use preservatives.
Infection of the child from the mother
A few years ago, this method of infection was very common, and an infected mother could not hope for a healthy baby. Cases of exclusion were, but rarely. The development of modern medicine today has achieved positive results in reducing the risk of infection of the child from the mother. The methods for transmitting HIV infection from mother to fetus or baby are as follows: through breast milk when breastfeeding, during childbirth, or even during pregnancy. It is extremely difficult to find out exactly when the infection occurred, so sick pregnant women need to register and monitor the health of their unborn baby as early as possible.
The possibility of infection in the home
Although the risk of acquiring HIV in the domestic environment is low, it still exists. The most common transmission is through piercing and cutting objects. The question of how HIV infection is transmitted in everyday life worries many, especially those who live under the same roof with an infected person.
The virus can be transmitted through personal hygiene items (for example, through shaving devices). It is worth remembering that it is impossible to get infected through the general use of the toilet, since the virus is not transmitted with urine and feces when swimming in the pool, through common dishes and other household items.
Infection in everyday life often occurs artificially, through damaged skin. If, for example, the blood or mucous discharge of a patient has entered the body of a healthy person, then we can already talk about infection.
HIV is not transmitted
The virus is not transmitted through the air (airborne droplets), in turn food, water. Staying indoors with an infected person does not threaten a healthy person. The use of household items (utensils, towels, a bathtub, a swimming pool, linen) also does not pose any danger. The virus is not transmitted through handshakes, kisses, when smoking one cigarette, when using one lipstick or a telephone handset. Also, HIV is not transmitted through insect bites or through animals.
HIV and AIDS
HIV infection has a destructive effect on the immune system, thereby reducing the body's resistance to various diseases. If in the first period the infection can occur imperceptibly, not manifest itself externally, then in the subsequent stages the immune system weakens to such an extent that the body becomes subject to any infectious disease. Such diseases include those that very rarely affect non-infected people: pneumonia caused by microorganisms, tumor disease of Kaposi’s sarcoma.
The condition when an infected person begins to appear infectious diseases, the cause of which lies in the problems of the immune system, is called AIDS.
HIV Prevention
It doesn’t matter which way HIV is transmitted, it’s important that it is life-threatening to humans. In order not to encounter such a serious problem, it is necessary to lead a correct lifestyle and adhere to the recommendations of doctors.
Among all AIDS control methods, the most effective is HIV prevention. It includes: the presence of only one sexual partner, avoidance of sexual contacts with drug addicts, prostitutes, as well as with little-known people, refusal from group contacts, the use of preservatives. These points are extremely important, since HIV is transmitted most often through sexual contact through unprotected sex.
For your safety, it is worth remembering that you do not need to use other people's personal hygiene items (medical instruments, toothbrushes, razors or razors). Everyone has the right to insist that in the office of a cosmetologist, gynecologist, dentist and other specialists they are served with disposable new tools.
The health sector should periodically take preventive measures for AIDS. These include: promotion of safe sex, a thorough examination of pregnant women, examination of blood donors and people at risk, monitoring the birth of children, refusing infected women to breastfeed their babies.
Prevention in the walls of medical institutions implies: the use of only disposable tools for the treatment of HIV patients, thorough washing of hands after working with an infected patient. It is also necessary to carry out disinfection in case of contamination of the bed, the environment or household items with secretions and secretions of the patient. It is worth remembering that it is better to prevent a problem than to solve it later, and in this case, than to live with it later.
HIV treatment
In this case, as in many others, the count of time goes on days. The sooner a problem is discovered, the more likely it is to return a normal lifestyle to the patient. HIV treatment is more focused on delaying the development and progression of the virus so that it does not turn into a more serious disease - AIDS. An infected person is immediately prescribed a treatment complex that includes: medicines that prevent the development of opportunistic infections, and medicines that affect the virus directly, interfering with its development and reproduction.
It’s hard to live with a disease like HIV. How it is transmitted, how it develops, how to protect itself - everyone should know the answers to these questions, because it is unlikely that the patient will be able to lead a familiar lifestyle, especially if he learns about the problem a few years after infection. Therefore, it is so important to monitor your behavior and protect your health, because it is the most expensive that we have, and it, unfortunately or fortunately, is not bought for money.