HIV / AIDS

AIDS is an incurable sexually transmitted disease (STD). It is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). People infected with HIV may not show any symptoms for years. People are diagnosed with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) after HIV has done severe damage to the immune system. Once HIV has progressed to AIDS, it can cause people to get very ill and die.

Reporting

According to the Center for Disease and Control (CDC) in the United States there were an estimated 215,653 people with an infection of HIV in 2005. It is also estimated there were 433,760 people diagnosed with AIDS in 2005 (source), and that 17,011 people died from it. (source) Overall in the United States, 984,155 people have been diagnosed with AIDS and 550,394 people have died from it. (source)
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Transmission

During vaginal, anal, or oral sex, when the mucous membrane (the moist layer of tissue lining the respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts) or an abrasion or cut comes in contact with infected sexual fluids (preseminal fluid, semen, or vaginal fluid) or blood (if the sex is rough), transmission can occur, even if there is no penetration.

Straight men and women are not the only ones at risk of being infected. Men who have sex with other men are at risk from anal and oral sex. Women who have oral sex with other women or have vulva (outer female genital area) to vulva contact are also at risk of infection.

HIV can also be transmitted when there is no sexual contact. If an abrasion or cut on the hands or anywhere on the body comes in contact with infected blood or other bodily fluids, transmission can occur. This can put health care workers at risk.

Transmission can not occur through contact like shaking hands or hugging.

Donated organs and blood can also cause transmission. However, the chances of that happening in the United States are very low, because organs and blood are screened for infections and diseases.

An infected woman who is pregnant can transmit HIV to her baby during pregnancy or during birth. She can also infect her baby through breast feeding because the virus can be present in breast milk.

Drug users who inject drugs can be infected by HIV if they share needles with others who have the virus. Using non-sterilized needles for tattooing, body piercing, and acupuncture can also cause transmission of HIV.
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Symptoms

Many people with HIV will have no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they could be experienced as headache, fever, stomach ache, sore muscles and joints, swollen lymph glands, or a skin rash. These symptoms can occur four to six weeks after exposure to the virus. However, having these symptoms does not mean there is an infection of HIV, because they could be caused by the flu or another illness.

When HIV progresses to AIDS, the symptoms experienced are also similar to those of other diseases. The only way for people to know if they have HIV or AIDS is to get tested.
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Testing / Diagnosis

HIV is diagnosed by testing a sample of blood for HIV antibodies. A health care provider can order the blood drawn and tested. For those too embarrassed to speak to a health care provider, being tested by an online confidential lab could be a good alternative. If you are interested in an online lab, click here.

It is important to note, that HIV antibodies can take three to six months to form after exposure. So it is recommended that a second test be performed a few months after a first test, if the results are negative, to be safe.
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Treatment

There is no cure for HIV or AIDS. However, there are powerful anti-retroviral drugs available that can slow down HIV and the damage it does to the immune system. These drugs can also delay HIV from developing into AIDS. How long the delay is depends on the individual infected. For a person who is healthy and has healthy behavior (eating right, exercise, plenty of rest, no drug use, etc), the delay could be ten years or more.

The anti-retroviral drugs can also help reduce the amount of opportunistic infections (infections that take advantage of a body’s weakened immune system) that occur. When those types of infections do occur, there are other medical treatments available that can cure them. However, they only cure the infections, not HIV or AIDS.
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Complications

HIV will eventually damage the immune system. When the damage becomes severe, a person is considered to have AIDS. People with AIDS can suffer from opportunistic infections (infections that take advantage of a body’s weakened immune system). These type of infections can be CMV (virus that infects the eyes), Candida (fungal infection), PCP (lung infection), and Kaposi’s sarcoma (skin cancer). People with AIDS could also experience brain tumors, severe weight loss, and many other health problems.

Those with AIDS develop opportunistic infections because their immune system can no longer fight off infections and disease. That means infections and diseases that can be mild to healthy people, could cause serious problems, even death in those with AIDS.

The length of time it takes HIV to progress to AIDS varies from person to person. Once it has developed into AIDS, some people will die soon afterwards, while others can live fairly normal lives for many years before dying from it.
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Prevention

Abstaining from sexual contact can prevent the transmission of HIV. A mutual monogamous relationship with a trusted partner known to be tested and uninfected is another way.

Correctly using latex condoms during vaginal or anal sex can reduce the risk of transmission. Correctly using a condom can also reduce the risk of transmission during oral sex (mouth to penis). For other forms of oral sex (mouth to vulva, the outer female genital area, or oral to anal, also known as rimming) using a dental dam, plastic wrap, or a latex condom cut up and opened flat are risk reducers. However, it is important to remember the barrier method used (condom, dental dam, or plastic wrap) can have infected body fluids upon it. So hands should be washed immediately after handling and disposing of it.

People who share sex toys should place condoms on them, switching to a new condom when the toy goes from one person to another. People should also wash their hands after handling the sex toys or if their hands come in contact with body fluids.

Health care professionals who come in contact or have to handle blood should follow standard precautions. Other people who come in contact with blood should try too as well, including wearing gloves.

Drug users should avoid sharing needles to prevent themselves from being infected.
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