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| Understanding HIV and AIDS |
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus attacks the immune system. This virus weakens the body's ability to fight infection and disease.
Some of the modes of transmission of HIV / AIDS is as follows:
- Unprotected sex
- Sharing syringes with people who are HIV positive, especially among injecting drug users
- HIV-positive pregnant mother to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth and / or breastfeeding time
- Through transfusion of blood / blood products contaminated with HIV
There is no cure for HIV, but there are treatments that can be used to slow the progression of the disease. This treatment will make infected people to live longer so they can live a normal life.
With early HIV diagnosis and effective treatment, people with HIV are not going to turn into AIDS. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. At this stage, the body's ability to fight infection is gone completely.
The spread of HIV
HIV is a fragile virus types. Can not survive long outside the human body. HIV is found in body fluids of an infected person. The liquid in question is semen, vaginal fluid, anal fluid, blood, and breast milk. HIV can not be spread through sweat or urine.
Here is some other way of spreading HIV:
- Transmission from mother to infant during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
- Through oral sex.
- Through a blood transfusion from an infected person.
- Using needles, syringes and other injecting equipment that is contaminated, for example, a sponge and cloth cleaner.
HIV Infection Test
If you feel at risk of HIV infection, the only way to find out is to have an HIV test accompanied by counseling. Immediately visit the nearest health facility (clinic VCT) for HIV testing. With this test will be known HIV diagnosis results on your body.
HIV testing and counseling services are referred to as VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) or VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing). This test is voluntary and confidential. Before conducting the test, counseling is given beforehand. Counseling aims to determine the level of risk of infection and also the pattern of daily life. After this stage, dibahaslah how to deal with HIV test results.
HIV testing is usually a blood test to ensure the presence of antibodies to HIV in blood samples. Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system to attack certain germs or bacteria.
If the result is positive, you will be referred to the clinic or hospital specialist HIV. Some other blood tests may be required. This test is to show the impact of HIV to your immune system. You also can talk about treatment options that can be done.
Step Treatment for Patients with HIV
Although there is no cure to completely eliminate HIV, but HIV treatment steps that exist at the moment is quite effective. Treatment options can prolong life for people with HIV and they can live a healthy lifestyle.
There are drugs known as antiretroviral (ARV) which serves to inhibit the virus damages the immune system. The drugs are given in tablet form that is consumed every day. You will be advised a healthy lifestyle. Eg healthy diet, not smoking, the annual flu vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine five years. It aims to reduce the risk of dangerous diseases.
Without treatment, people with immune system attacked by HIV will decrease drastically. And they tend to suffer from life-threatening diseases such as cancer. This is known as end-stage HIV or AIDS.
How HIV Prevention
The best way to prevent HIV is to have sex safely, and never share needles or equipment to inject anything. All who have ever had sex without a condom and sharing needles or injections, are at risk for HIV infection.
(Cause of HIV)
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