HIV and AIDS
Uploaded by mumsa1 on Apr 02, 2012
Over 30 million people worldwide are infected with HIV.
In this article:
What is HIV & AIDS?
Suggested origins of the virus
Diagnosis
Treatment
Advice & Support
What is HIV & AIDS?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a powerful virus that replicates itself and multiplies, despite attempts by the body’s immune system to destroy it.
HIV causes infections that can lead to a range of symptoms.
Over time, HIV destroys the white cells in the body which are there to fight viruses and bacteria. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) then develops.
People can be infected with HIV through:
Unprotected sex (vaginal/anal/oral)
Blood transfusions
Donated organs
Sharing needles
Mother-to-baby – passing the infection on, breastfeeding, etc.
Symptoms of HIV include:
Swollen glands
Fever
Muscular and skeletal pain
Tiredness and sometimes overwhelming fatigue
Sore throat
Headache
Nausea
Mouth ulcers and sores
Cold sores
Genital ulcers
Problems with the oesophagus (swelling, ulcers, difficulty swallowing)
Body and face rash
AIDS is the latter stage of HIV. It is a life-threatening condition because the immune system has now stopped working.
Symptoms and associated conditions of AIDS include:
Pneumonia
Vaginal thrush
Thrush in the mouth
Tuberculosis
Fever
Heavy cough
Diarrhoea
Weight loss
Sweating and shivering
Sight problems
Dementia
Note: AIDS can also lead to various cancers.
Suggested origins of the virus
In the late 1970s there was a sudden rise in demand for chimpanzee meat in Asia. As a result, African hunters hunted down chimpanzees en masse. The HIV virus is thought to have developed as a result of human blood mixing with chimpanzee blood during and after the killings.
In the 1980s, as the first few cases of HIV became apparent in Africa, healthcare professionals struggled to understand the disease. In fact, the symptoms of HIV can be so similar to conditions such as heavy flu or glandular fever, that treatment for these was administered instead.
Within a few years, HIV and AIDS had become a global pandemic as the virus spread across Africa and beyond.
Diagnosis
If you think you may have been at risk of HIV infection (or if you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms of HIV), go to your local genitourinary medicine clinic (GUM) immediately. They will take a blood test in order to establish a confirmed diagnosis. The test results usually take about 6 weeks to come through.
Treatment
There is no cure for HIV and AIDS. Treatment is intended to slow the progress of the disease. After being diagnosed with HIV, you will be referred to an HIV clinic. There, treatment options will be explained to you. These can include:
A combination of anti-HIV drugs
Advice regarding adopting a healthy lifestyle – to try...