Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This condition progressively reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. HIV is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the bloodstream with a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, preseminal fluid, and breast milk.
[4][5] This transmission can involve anal, vaginal or oral sex, blood transfusion, contaminated hypodermic needles, exchange between mother and baby during pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or other exposure to one of the above bodily fluids. AIDS is now a pandemic. As of 2009, AVERT estimated that there are 33. 3 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS, with 2. 6 million new HIV infections per year and 1. 8 million annual deaths due to AIDS. In 2007, UNAIDS estimated: 33. 2 million people worldwide had AIDS that year; AIDS killed 2.
1 million people in the course of that year, including 330,000 children, and 76% of those deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. According to UNAIDS 2009 report, worldwide some 60 million people have been infected, with some 25 million deaths, and 14 million orphaned children in southern Africa alone since the epidemic began. [ Symptoms The symptoms of HIV and AIDS vary, depending on the phase of infection. Within the first few weeks when first infected with HIV, you may have no signs or symptoms at all, although you’re still able to transmit the virus to others.
Many people develop a brief flu-like illness two to four weeks after becoming infected. Signs and symptoms may include: •Fever •Headache •Sore throat •Swollen lymph glands •Rash Years later you may remain symptom-free for years. But as the virus continues to multiply and destroy immune cells, you may develop mild infections or chronic symptoms such as: •Swollen lymph nodes — often one of the first signs of HIV infection •Diarrhea •Weight loss •Fever •Cough and shortness of breath Prevention There’s no vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for AIDS.
But it’s possible to protect yourself and others from infection. That means educating yourself about HIV and avoiding any behavior that allows HIV-infected fluids — blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk — into your body. To help prevent the spread of HIV, you should: •Use a new condom every time you have sex. If you don’t know the HIV status of your partner, use a new condom every time you have anal or vaginal sex. Women can use a female condom. Use only water-based lubricants. Oil-based lubricants can weaken condoms and cause them to break.
During oral sex use a condom, dental dam & mash; a piece of medical-grade latex — or plastic wrap. •Use a clean needle. If you use a needle to inject drugs, make sure it’s sterile and don’t share it. Take advantage of needle-exchange programs in your community and consider seeking help for your drug use. •Tell your sexual partners if you have HIV. It’s important to tell anyone with whom you’ve had sex that you’re HIV-positive. Your partners need to be tested and to receive medical care if they have the virus. They also need to know their HIV status so that they don’t infect others.
•If you’re pregnant, get medical care right away. If you’re HIV-positive, you may pass the infection to your baby. But if you receive treatment during pregnancy, you can cut your baby’s risk by as much as two-thirds. Treatments and Drugs There is no cure for HIV/AIDS, but a variety of drugs can be used in combination to control the virus. Each of the classes of anti-HIV drugs blocks the virus in different ways. It’s best to combine at least three drugs from two different classes to avoid creating strains of HIV that are immune to single drugs.
The classes of anti-HIV drugs include: •Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). NNRTIs disable a protein needed by HIV to make copies of itself. Examples include efavirenz (Sustiva), etravirine (Intelence) and nevirapine (Viramune). •Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). NRTIs are faulty versions of building blocks that HIV needs to make copies of itself. Examples include Abacavir (Ziagen), and the combination drugs emtricitabine and tenofovir (Truvada), and lamivudine and zidovudine (Combivir).
•Protease inhibitors (PIs). PIs disable protease, another protein that HIV needs to make copies of itself. Examples include atazanavir (Reyataz), darunavir (Prezista), fosamprenavir (Lexiva) and ritonavir (Norvir). •Entry or fusion inhibitors. These drugs block HIV’s entry into CD4 cells. Examples include enfuvirtide (Fuzeon) and maraviroc (Selzentry). •Integrase inhibitors. Raltegravir (Isentress) works by disabling integrase, a protein that HIV uses to insert its genetic material into CD4 cells. When to start treatment.
Current guidelines indicate that treatment should begin if: •You have severe symptoms •Your CD4 count is under 500 •You’re pregnant •You have HIV-related kidney disease •You’re being treated for hepatitis B Treatment can be difficult HIV treatment regimens may involve taking multiple pills at specific times every day for the rest of your life. Side effects can include: •Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea •Abnormal heartbeats •Shortness of breath •Skin rash •Weakened bones •Bone death, particularly in the hip joints Treatment response.
Your response to any treatment is measured by your viral load and CD4 counts. Viral load should be tested at the start of treatment and then every three to four months while you’re undergoing therapy. CD4 counts should be checked every three to six months. HIV treatment should reduce your viral load to the point that it’s undetectable. That doesn’t mean your HIV is gone. It just means that the test is not sensitive enough to detect it. You can still transmit HIV to others when your viral load is undetectable.