ARE YOU AWARE OF THE ABBREVIATION “HIV” AND AIDS MEANING

The abbreviations HIV has special meaning, HUMAN Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a Virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infections. Making a person more vulnerable to other infections an diseases. It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV.

In most cases HIV is a sexually transmitted infections and occurs by contact with or transfer of blood, pre-ejaculated,semen and vaginally fluids. Within these bodily fluids HIV is present as free virus particles. which have infected the vital immune cells in the human immune system, such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells) , macrophages and dendritic cells. Non-sexual transmission can occur from an infected mother to her In fact during pregnancy, during child birth by exposure to her blood or vaginal fluid and through breast milk. It is most commonly during sex with or without a condom.

After contaminated leads to the disease referred to” AIDS”. The abbreviations have each special meaning Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. The human body can’t fight back the infections of HIV and there is no effective cure exists.Once infected you have it for life. Human Immunodeficiency Virus are two species of Lentivirus.( a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans.

There are effective methods to prevent getting infected by HIV through sex by drug use age. This drugs are two types Pre exposure Prophylaxis ( Pr EP ) and Post exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).

It should be mentioned that having STD can increase your risk of getting HIV and spreading it to others.

Overtime they cause acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). A condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life threatening opportunistic infections and cancer to thrive. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ cells through a number of mechanisms, including pyrophosphate of abortive infected T cells, apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, direct viral killing of infected cells and killing of infected CD4+ cells by CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognise infected cells. When CD4+ cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell mediated immunity is lost and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections loading to the development of AIDS. The average survival life span after infection is estimated to be 9 to 11 years.

The life span is given because the infection causes several damages on human body. The infection caused are;

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) – The most common cause of pneumonia in people infected with HIV and cause severe illness.

Candidiasis ( thrush) – Is a common HIV related infection causes inflammation and a thick white coating on your mouth, tongue,esophagus or vagina.

Tuberculosis (TB) – A co8mmon opportunistic infection associated with HIV. Worldwide, TB is a leading cause of death among people with AIDS.

Cytomegalovirus – This common herpes virus is transmitted in body fluids such as saliva,blood,urine,semen and breast milk. A healthy immune system inactive the virus and it remains dormant in your body. If the immune system weakens the virus resurfaces, can cause damage to your eyes,digestive tract,lungs or other organs.

Cryptococcal meningitis – Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord ( meninges). Cryptococcal Meningitis is a common central nervous system infection associated with HIV, caused by a fungus found in soil.

Toxoplasmosis – This potentially deadly infection is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite spread primarily by cats. Infected cats pass the parasites in their stools, which may then spread to other animals and humans. It can cause heart disease and seizures occur when it spreads to the brain.

What are the symptoms of HIV infections?

The symptoms of HIV and AIDS vary depending on the phase of infection. The phases are :-

# Primary infection (Acute HIV)

Some people infected by HIV develop a flu-like illness within 2 to 4 weeks. Most people experience a short flu- like illness 2 to 6 weeks after HIV infection enters the body which lasts for a week or 2. After this symptoms disappear, HIV may not cause any symptoms for many years, although the virus continues to damage your Immune system. These mean many people with HIV do not know they’re infected and at particularly high risk.

This illness known as primary (acute) HIV infection has possible signs and symptoms which includes; fever,headache, muscle aches, joint pains, rashes, sore throat, painful mouth sores, swollen lymph glands mainly on the neck, diarrhoea, weight loss,cough, Night sweats, persistent, unexplained fatigue, Oral yeast infection(thrush), shingles( herpes zoster), pneumonia, progression to AIDS, Sweat,chills, weaknesses and persistent white spots or unusual lesions on tongue or mouth. These symptoms can be so mild that you might not even notice them. However the amount of virus in bloodstream is quite high at this time. As a result the infection spreads more easily during primary infection than the next stage.

# Clinical latent infection ( Chronic HIV)

In this stage the HIV infections is still present in the white blood cells, however most people may not have any symptoms of infections. This stage can last for many years. Some people develop more severe disease much sooner.

How is HIV transmitted or spreads without knowing

To become infected with HIV , infected blood, semen and vaginal secretions must enter your body. This can happen in several ways namely; having sex, drug use,contact with body fluids of an infected person which includes semen,vaginal and anal fluids,blood, mother to baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding, kissing, sharing anything with a HIV positive person. HIV can spread or transmitted through sweat, urine and saliva. These fluids must get into the bloodstream through a mucous membranes ( found in the rectum,vagina,mouth, or tip of the penis) open cuts or mouth sores or by direct injection.

The virus can also enter your body through small tears that sometimes develop in the rectum or vagina during sexual activity. Drug paraphernalia puts you at high risk of HIV and other infections diseases such as hepatitis. And from blood transfusion

Transmission is high in the upper middle income countries and low income countries.

How can you prevent the spreading of the HIV

There’s no vaccine to prevent HIV Infection and no cure for HIV/AIDS but you can protect yourself and other’s from infection. You can help prevent the spread by ; Stop having sex , not touching contaminated people, stop hugging, stop sharing everything with the HIV positive people, not sharing the same food or drinks and do not share equipment with others.

How is life living with HIV infection

If you’re living with HIV infection, taking effective HIV treatment and being undetectable significantly reduces your risk of passing HIV on to others. You’ll also be encouraged to ; Take regular exercises, eat a healthy diet, stop smoking and stop having sex.

There no remedy for HIV and AIDS because its an incurable disease, the immune system will become severely damaged and life threatening illnesses such as cancer and severe infections can occur.