World Aids Day is celebrated on the 1st of December that brings people from around the globe together to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. The day is an opportunity for public and private organisation to spread awareness about the status of a pandemic. It promotes progress in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment around the world. It has become one of the essential days for international health and wellbeing. Having health insurance will have you covered finically in case of any emergency.
It is thus imperative that we recognise the importance of this day and contribute on our half for better understanding and better recognisability of the illness. Let's start by knowing it in a better way.
What is HIV?
HIV is a virus that damages the immune systems and put the body at tremendous risk due to the lack of capability to fight against many diseases. It kills CD4 cells which are a type of immune cell called the T cell. Over time if there are proper measures taken against HIV, it goes on to kill more CD 4 cells and thus places the body at risk of getting into chronic illness even due to a minor infection. The transmission of HIV can be through
BloodSemenVaginal and rectal fluidsBreast milk
It can never be transmitted through air, water, or through casual contact between two people, one of whom is affected by HIV. HIV inserts itself into the DNA of the living body and thus is a lifelong illness. Many scientists have been working on a drug that can eliminate the presence of HIV from the body, but there is no such discovery that can reduce the complete appearance of HIV.
With medical therapy now the virus is manageable and one can live with it for years. The treatment is called antiretroviral therapy. Without any treatment, the person is expected to soon develop serious symptoms which are called AIDS. At this point, the immune system is too weak to fight against common infections and they may take a shape of severe conditions.
What is AIDS?
AIDS is a disease that can develop in people with HIV. It is the most advanced stage of HIV, but a person with HIV necessarily does not mean that they will have AIDS. People with AIDS have a higher chance of developing opportunist infection. If untreated HIV can transform into AIDS soon. There is currently no treatment for AIDS and once a person is diagnosed, the average life expectancy is three years.
On the development of AIDS, it means that the immune system is severely compromised. It is weakened to a point where it can no longer respond to any disease.
HIV Transmission: Knowing the facts
The virus is transmitted through bodily fluids. The most common means of treatment are vaginal or anal sex, sharing of syringes, by sharing tattoo equipment, during pregnancy, during breastfeeding, through exposure to bodily fluids through needle or stick.
HIV does not transfer through:
Skin contactHugging, shaking hands etc.Air or water
