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Posted by: SexOracle, on 6/29/2009
, in category "STDs"
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Abstract: HIV/AIDS is the deadly STD that destroys your body’s ability to protect itself and recover from sicknesses.
HIV/AIDS is the deadly STD that destroys your body’s ability to protect itself and recover from sicknesses.
We combine two diseases as one term, HIV/AIDS, because Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Transmission
HIV is transmitted through anal sex, vaginal sex, and to a lesser extent, oral sex. The HIV virus exists in bodily fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal fluid. Anal and vaginal sex are the riskiest sexual activities with an HIV-positive person because they are the most likely to result in small tears in the rectum or vagina, allowing the virus to spread into the bloodstream. Of course, sex with an infected woman during her period increases the risk of HIV transmission to her partner. Oral sex and even kissing have a low but existing risk, if the mouth has ulcers, sores or small tears inside it. HIV also spread by sharing needles with an HIV-positive person or receiving a contaminated blood transfusion; and from a mother to her baby through pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
For the first few weeks after infection, no symptoms appear; not even in the blood. This means that if you have been infected and test for HIV within only a few weeks of infection, the results will be negative. However, you would be able to infect other people.
2-6 months after infection, the body starts a campaign to fight the virus, and antibodies appear. When antibodies are present, an HIV test will show a person as HIV positive. This stage is for some people accompanied by severe flu-like symptoms: muscle pain, nausea, fever, rashes. Other symptoms are weight loss, bruises, exhaustion and diarrhoea. For others, no symptoms will be apparent.
The antibodies actually greatly weaken the virus, and no further symptoms will show for up to 10 years or longer. However, some vital white blood cells necessary for the immune system are slowly killed off during this time. The normal amount of these particular white blood cells is 1000 cells per microlitre of blood. During this time they are killed off at a rate of about 90 cells per microlitre per year. By the time the white blood cell count has reached 200 per microlitre, the sufferer is likely to acquire AIDS. Of course, the rate of development of the virus fluctuates from person to person. A very few people are actually immune to HIV – studies show that a small percentage of descendants of Northern Europeans and Central Asians, and even some Gambians, who have a certain gene from both parents, are immune. It is most likely, however, that you are not immune, even if you are of one of the ethnicities above and have the right gene from one parent. Don’t take the risk of having unprotected sex with someone whose sexual and health history you are not familiar with; the potential costs are far too great.
Symptoms of AIDS
Once the white blood cell count has reached 200 per microlitre (or cubic millimetre) and AIDS can be diagnosed, the body can no longer defend itself from severe sicknesses. An AIDS-infected person has a high chance of acquiring tuberculosis, cervical cancer, pneumonia, respiratory diseases; and vision, nerve and brain damage.
Treatment
Special antibiotics are used to prevent the development of sicknesses that come from having a weakened immune system. There are also drugs that block the actual HIV virus, called antiretroviral medicines and inhibitors. They don’t cure the patient of HIV, but improve the quality and length of life of HIV-infected people. All types of treatment are very expensive, costing thousands of dollars per month.
Prevalence
0.6% of the population of the USA, or 1.2 million Americans, are HIV-positive. In the United Kingdom, 0.2% of the population, or 77,000 people, are infected. Worldwide, as of 2007, 0.8% of people or 33 million had HIV/AIDS. African countries are known to have very high rates of the disease: Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa have 26.1%, 23.9%, 23.2% and 18.1% population prevalence of HIV/AIDs respectively. For more statistics, see the CIA World Factbook’s HIV comparison.
Prevention
Choose masturbation over one-night stands, and try to keep sexual activity to monogamous relationships in which both partners have been tested and cleared. Outside of those two sexual situations, use condoms and lube at all times, even for oral sex. Avoid contaminated needles by only visiting doctors and tattooists in reputable establishments. And, don’t shoot heroin.
More information
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