QUICK FACTS:
*HIV is a virus that attacks the cells of your immune system and eventually leads to AIDS
*HIV can be contracted through semen, blood, breast milk, and childbirth.
*You can catch or spread HIV if you have any kind of unprotected sex. Use condoms for maximum protection.
*There is no vaccine or cure for HIV or AIDS but there are treatments that can help an infected person to live a long and productive life.
*For up to 10 years or more, HIV may not show any signs or symptoms.
*Currently, about 3,400,000 people in Nigeria are living with HIV (O-M-G!)
*HIV cannot be caught by kissing, hugging or shaking hands with a person living with HIV, and it cannot be transmitted by sneezes, air, insect bites such as mosquitos, animals, door handles, dirty glasses.
[color =green]Meaning of HIV and its causes[/color]
The full meaning of “HIV” is: Human Immunodeficiency Virus. (Hmmmn big name). But what is in a name?
H – Human – This virus can only infect human beings.
I – Immunodeficiency – HIV weakens your immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. Think of it like an enemy that destroys the soldiers of a Nation thereby exposing that nation to harsh attacks from many other enemies. (Get it now?) A weakened immune system cannot protect you.
V – Virus – Viruses reproduce themselves by taking over the cells in the body of its host. (Kind of like tenants forcefully hijacking the house and taking it away from the owner!) Viruses do not die and they can never be cured.
[color =green]AIDS and its causes[/color]
“AIDS” stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. To understand what that means, look at the letters:
A – Acquired – You acquire AIDS like any other virus - most people are not born with it unless their mother was HIV positive and she transmitted it to her baby.
I – Immuno – Your body's immune system include all the organs and cells that work to fight off infection or disease.
D – Deficiency –You get AIDS when your immune system is "deficient," or is not working the way it should.
S – Syndrome – A syndrome refers to many different signs and symptoms of disease. AIDS is a syndrome, that is, it shows up in many different ways, rather than a single disease, because it is a complex illness with a wide range of complications and symptoms.
[color =green]What Is the Difference Between HIV and AIDS?[/color]
The terms “HIV” and “AIDS” may confuse you because the two terms talk about the same disease. But HIV is the name of the virus while AIDS describes the last stage of the disease. That is the stage when the infected person’s immune system is so damaged that his/her body would no longer be able to fight off any disease.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of HIV/AIDS?
In the first 2 weeks to 1 month of HIV infection, some people may have flu-like symptoms- (cold and catarrh-like feelings). But just like other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), there are no clear-cut symptoms when a person is infected with HIV. The only way to truly know if you have HIV/AIDS is to get tested at a clinic.
Signs & Symptoms in Men
You may have a fever, or suffer one or more of the following for a week or two: Rash on the arms, legs, face, or belly; sore throat; swollen lymph glands; mouth or genital ulcers; bad headaches; muscle aches and joint pain; nausea and vomiting; night sweats; oral thrush (creamy white lesions on your tongue, inner cheeks, and sometimes on the roof of your mouth, gums and tonsils).
Signs & Symptoms in Women
You may have a fever, or suffer one or more of the following for a week or two: Rash on the arms, legs, face, or belly; sore throat; swollen lymph glands; mouth or genital ulcers; bad headaches; muscle aches and joint pain; nausea and vomiting; night sweats; oral thrush (creamy white lesions on your tongue, inner cheeks, and sometimes on the roof of your mouth, gums and tonsils).
Signs & Symptoms in Babies
Many babies and children living with HIV are known or suspected to have the infection because their mothers are known to be infected. However, sometimes infection is not suspected until a child develops symptoms. Symptoms of HIV infection vary by age and individual child, but following are some of the more common symptoms:
A failure to gain weight or grow according to standardized growth charts.
Failure to reach developmental milestones during the expected time frame.
Brain or nervous system problems, characterized by seizures, difficulty with walking, or poor performance in school.
Frequent childhood illnesses such as ear infections, colds, upset stomach, and diarrhea.
Is There a Cure for HIV/AIDS?
Before better drugs and treatments were developed, the progression of HIV to full-blown AIDS was to very fast. But in these modern times, it takes quite a long time for people infected with HIV to progress onto the AIDS stage. Fact: Many HIV infected people who take their medicine exactly as directed by their doctor do not progress to AIDS.
Anti-Retroviral Therapy
The progression of HIV to AIDS is slowed (never cured) because of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). So if you have HIV, you can take ART (often a combination of medicines) to keep the level of the virus in your body low.
If you are able to consistently keep your viral load (level) low through ART, then it is not likely that your HIV would ever progress to AIDS. This treatment will not only help you to keep strong and healthy, it will also reduce your risk of spreading the virus to your partner and others.
Receiving blood transfusions, blood products or organ/tissue transplants that are contaminated with HIV.
Sero-Different Couples
A Sero-different couple is a couple where one partner is HIV negative and the other partner is HIV positive. Another term for this is a serodiscordant couple or a discordant couple.
It is possible for Sero-different couples to have safe sexual relationships if they take and use these pieces of advice:
Talk about HIV prevention and family planning together as a couple, and with a healthcare provider.
Use condoms and other HIV prevention methods every time you have sex.
Consider your HIV treatment options.
For the HIV-positive partner
Antiretroviral drugs lower the amount of HIV in your body. The drugs can reduce the virus to very low levels, making you less likely to pass on HIV. Find a clinic and talk to your healthcare provider today about starting treatment.
For the HIV-negative partner
HIV-negative partners can take pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is a way for people who do not have HIV but who are at risk of getting it to prevent HIV infection by taking a pill every day. PrEP is sometimes recommended for serodifferent couples that are trying to conceive a baby, to avoid passing HIV to the HIV-negative partner. Find a clinic and talk to your healthcare provider about starting PrEP treatment.
Having sex as a Sero-different couple
Sero-different couples can have a healthy sexual relationship but they must think foremost about their own safety. The couple might stand a better chance of reducing the risk of infecting each other if the following conditions are met:
Each is committed to practicing safe sex - using a condom (male or female) every time they engage in sexual intercourse.
The HIV infected partner must have good adherence to their treatment plan
With good adherence to a treatment plan, the infected partner can reduce his or her viral load. This will greatly decrease the likelihood that the HIV infected partner will pass the virus to the uninfected partner.
Neither of them has a sexually transmitted disease. Someone with a Sexually Transmitted Disease is more likely to catch the HIV virus.
HIV/AIDS and Pregnancy
Regardless if your HIV status, you may want to have children! If you are HIV positive and either want to become pregnant or are pregnant, talk to a healthcare provider right away. If you would like to have a child and your partner is HIV positive, talk to a healthcare provider about your options and plans for having a safe pregnancy. Your doctor can tell you how HIV can affect your health or your unborn baby's health and tell you how to prepare for a healthy pregnancy.
You will have many choices to make about lowering the risk of passing HIV to your baby. A mother who knows early in her pregnancy that she is HIV infected has more time to make important decisions. She and her healthcare provider will have more time to decide on effective ways to protect her health and prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
How does HIV spread from a mother to her baby?
HIV can be spread to a baby during pregnancy, while in labor, while giving birth, or by breastfeeding. Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV refers to the transmission of HIV from an HIV-positive woman to her child during any of these times.
What treatments are available to prevent transmission of HIV from a mother to her baby?
Anti-HIV medications are used at the following times to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Remember - if you are pregnant, you should be prepared and be committed to completing all 3 steps to ensure you and your baby are healthy.
During pregnancy, women infected with HIV receive a regimen (combination) of at least three different anti-HIV medications.
During labor and delivery, pregnant women infected with HIV receive intravenous (IV) Zidovudine (a drug commonly referred to as AZT) and continue to take the medications in their regimens by mouth.
After birth, babies born to women infected with HIV receive liquid AZT for 6 weeks. (Babies of mothers who did not receive anti-HIV medications during pregnancy may be given other anti-HIV medications in addition to AZT.)
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your healthcare provider about the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS.
Ending HIV/AIDS Stigma
HIV is only a disease. Yes, it alters the life of the infected person but it should never be allowed to take over one’s life. Yes. There is life after HIV.
If you are infected, you must draw inner strength and give it outward expression so that others in the same situation can draw hope from you.
People have fears and negative attitudes out of ignorance. But you can educate them with your openness that will serve to increase strength and knowledge. HIV is an infection that many people have fears, prejudices or negative attitudes about.
Out of fear, some people stigmatize people living with HIV/AIDS that can result in insults, rejection, being the subject of gossips and being excluded from social activities. But you must understand the truth that the infection is different from the person.
Self-stigma, or internalized stigma has an equally damaging effect. This fear of discrimination breaks down confidence to seek help and medical care. Self-stigma and fear of negative reactions can hinder efforts to address the HIV epidemic by continuing the wall of silence and shame surrounding the virus.
Here are some ways you can fight stigma - regardless of your HIV Status:
Educate yourself and educate others about HIV. Teach them to appreciate the person and be wary of the virus, but love the person.
Learn about the myths - and the realities - of HIV, then use the information to break the myths. (For example, you cannot get HIV from hugging, kissing, or shaking hands with someone who is HIV-positive, nor can you get it from a mosquito bite).
Let them know that sex and promiscuity are not the only ways people get HIV.
Confront those who discriminate and help them understand why their actions are hurtful and dangerous. Judging and condemning people living with HIV only helps to hide the virus and that way, many more people will continue to get infected.
Think about HIV as not much different from other diseases people have
Share your HIV status - and let people know that anyone can get HIV - the old and young, fat and thin, and those who have 1 or 10 sexual partners.
Share your strength and encourage others to get tested and stand against stigmatisation.
