Yasmin Williams - HEALTH-WISEBELOW ARE SOME BASIC FACTS ABOUT HIV /AIDS WHICH EACH PERSON SHOULD KNOW:
"THE HUMAN Immunodeficiency Virus causes HIV infection.
"HIV can be passed on to people in three ways
i). Sex
From an HIV-infected person to an uninfected person during vaginal or anal sexual intercourse and possibly through oral sex.
ii). Blood infected with HIV
From HIV-infected blood left on needles used to- inject drugs, draw tattoos, pierce ears, accidentally/deliberately "stick" an HIV-uninfected person. An individual cannot contract HIV by donating blood because new/clean needles are used. Blood which is to be transfused is tested prior to transfusion. Since 1985, blood donated to the blood bank is screened for HIV. Blood testing false negative for HIV is usually due to testing in the "window period" when there are no detectable antibodies to HIV. The rate of false negatives ranges from 0.3 per cent in a high prevalence population to 0.001 per cent in a low prevalence population.
iii). Mothers to babies (vertical
transmission)
About 1 in three babies born of
HIV-infected mothers may be HIV positive. Every HIV positive female in the reproductive age group should be counselled about getting pregnant. If after adequate counselling, the female decides to get pregnant or if she inadvertently becomes pregnant, she must ensure that she receives antiretroviral medication to decrease the likelihood of her having a HIV positive baby.
"HIV is not spread through casual contact with an HIV positive person. These casual contacts include:-
i. Living in the same household with an infected person
ii. Shaking hands or hugging
iii. Sharing foods, plates and cups
iv. Using the same public
transportation
v. Sharing bathrooms or toilets
"HIV is not spread by insects like mosquitoes and bedbugs
"In the health care setting, HIV can be passed on when HIV infected blood comes in contact with blood or mucous membranes of an uninfected person. Therefore universal precaution which assumes all patients are infected, must be used at all times. Practical steps must be taken to prevent contact with infected body fluids. "Shortly after infection with the virus, an infected individual may or may not get a "flu like illness".
"HIV infection can persist as a chronic disease which may be silent for an extended period may be as long as ten years and more. However, during this stage, the infected individual will be able to ascertain his or her HIV status by being appropriately tested. "An HIV positive person may look and feel healthy for a long time. This is especially true of adults as children will often show signs of infection earlier. During this stage, an infected healthy person can infect others. "Without intervention, HIV weakens the immune system (responsible for "fighting " and preventing disease) and damages other systems in the body.
"Initial symptoms are not specific and include loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, prolonged diarhoea, chronic cough, night sweats and white patches in the mouth . "As the immune system in an HIV infected individual weakens, the HIV infected individual develops AIDS, (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) which is marked by the occurrence of certain AIDS specific medical conditions which do not commonly occur in persons whose immune system are intact. At this time, there is a low CD4 count (white cells in the blood which are important for keeping an individual healthy) and a high viral load.
"A healthy lifestyle, access to prescriptions for opportunistic infections and anti retroviral medication when possible can improve the quality and extent of life in HIV infected persons.
"Persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) must be recognised
as part of the solution to the
HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The use of condoms, avoiding needlesticks with HIV infected blood, anti-retroviral drugs to pregnant HIV infected women as well as preventing HIV infected mothers from feeding HIV negative babies with breast milk, are some strategies to prevent transmission or spread of HIV. As we attempt to contain the epidemic we must enlist the help of persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Yasmin Williams is a Family Doctor and Public Health Specialist.
