According to the World Health Organization, 16,000 people become infected with HIV every day in the world. Over 90% of them live in countries with low levels of economic development. Moreover, every tenth infected person is a child under 15 years old. The rest are adults, of whom nearly 40% are women. And every second woman is between the ages of 15 and 24.
What are the signs of infection?
It is impossible by the appearance of a person to accurately determine whether his body is infected or not. This is the danger of this disease. An infected person looks healthy and feels good, but he can transmit the virus to other people. Is it worth it to take the word to someone who claims to be not infected? Not always. Many HIV-infected people are not even aware of their illness. Those who know about infection sometimes hide it or do not tell the truth. There are sociological data from surveys conducted in the United States among people infected with HIV: four out of ten people did not warn their partners about the possibility of infection.
AIDS and HIV - how are they related?
The term "HIV" refers to human immunodeficiency virus. This virus gradually destroys the natural protective barrier designed to fight disease - the body's immune system. AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. This is the deadly last stage of the disease caused by HIV infection. The name itself suggests that the HIV virus, inflicting a crushing blow to the immune system of a sick person, makes him completely helpless in front of infections that a healthy person could easily cope with.
What happens in the body that is infected with HIV?
From the moment of infection to the onset of the first symptoms , 6 to 10 years pass. During this period, a fierce war occurs in the body. Viral particles, multiplying, kill the cells of the immune system. The immune system strikes back. But viruses multiply, and there comes a period when billions of viral particles completely suppress immunity. Drugs designed to support the immune system were ineffective and even caused serious side effects, adversely affecting the patient’s blood. Now a new class of drugs is developed - protease inhibitors. In combination with other antiviral drugs, these drugs stop the process of reproduction of viruses, although they are not completely killed. Such triple therapy is effective if treatment is started as early as possible, even before the symptoms that the HIV infection causes are manifested.
Therefore, HIV tests are very important. And even if the virus is not found the first time, the test should be repeated later. This is especially important for those who are going to get married. After all, if it turns out later that the HIV test is positive, not only your life, but also the lives of your spouse and children will be at risk.
Treatment difficulties
Triple therapy has its difficulties:
• High cost of drugs
• Sophisticated pill regimen
• Strict daily intake
• Dependence on the refrigerator in which the products should be stored
• The complication of therapy when it is necessary to take drugs from other diseases
• Danger of interrupting treatment so that viruses do not start to multiply again
HIV Prevention
Based on a statement from the AIDS League, infection can be prevented. Until an effective cure for this dangerous disease has been found, the only protection is knowledge. Parents should speak frankly about this danger with their children and with each other.
Nevertheless, despite the wide public education program, many are very careless about the risk of infection. High moral standards, marital fidelity - these are the best remedies to date.
It is not yet possible to get rid of the disease that causes HIV infection, but it can be prevented. Is it worth the risk of life? Agree that infection prevention is much better than the inability to recover!