AIDS
stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Sound serious?
It is. AIDS is currently the leading cause of death in men between
the ages of 25 and 44 in the United States. Think women aren't
at risk? Think again. AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death
in women in this age group. AIDS is caused by HIV, the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus, which attacks the body's immune system.
Without immunologic protection, people with AIDS suffer from
fatal infections and cancers.
What
are the symptoms of AIDS?
You
can be infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and have
no symptoms at all. On average, it takes about 7 to 9 years for
symptoms to develop. Most symptoms of AIDS are not caused directly
by the HIV virus, but by an infection or other condition acquired
due to the weakened immune system. Symptoms can include severe
weight loss, fevers, headaches, drenching night sweats, fatigue,
severe diarrhea, shortness of breath, and difficulty swallowing.
The symptoms tend to last for weeks or months at a time and do
not go away without treatment. Since these symptoms are commonly
seen in other diseases, you can't assume any symptom is HIV/AIDS-related
until you get laboratory tests. See a doctor if you think you
may be at risk or if you have symptoms.
You might not know
if you get infected by HIV. Some people get fever, headache, sore
muscles and joints, stomach ache, swollen lymph glands, or a skin
rash for one or two weeks. Most people think it's the flu. Some
people have no symptoms.
The virus will
multiply in your body for a few weeks or even months before your
immune system responds. During this time, you won't test positive
for HIV, but you can infect other people.
When your immune
system responds, it starts to make antibodies. When you start
making antibodies, you will test positive for HIV.
After the first
flu-like symptoms, some people with HIV stay healthy for ten years
or longer. But during this time, HIV is damaging your immune system.
One way to measure
the damage to your immune system is to see how many CD4+ cells
you have. These cells, also called "T-helper" cells,
are an important part of the immune system. Healthy people have
between 500 and 1,500 CD4+cells in milliliter of blood.
Without treatment,
your CD4+ cell count will most likely go down. You might start
having signs of HIV disease like fevers, night sweats, diarrhea,
or swollen lymph nodes. If you have HIV disease, these problems
will last more than a few days, and probably continue for several
weeks.
How
do you get it?
HIV
is spread mainly in two ways: through unprotected sexual intercourse
with an infected person, or through sharing drug needles or syringes
with an infected person.
HIV
is not passed by everyday social contact.
Touching, hugging, and shaking hands with an infected person is
safe.
Some people think they may get HIV by donating blood. This is
not so. A new needle is used for every donor, and you do not come
into contact with anyone else's blood. Donated blood is now always
screened for HIV, therefore, the risk of getting it from a blood
transfusion in the United States is very, very low.
Kissing an infected person on the cheek or with dry lips is not
a known risk. No cases of AIDS or of HIV infection due to kissing
have ever been reported.The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
is not spread easily.
You
can only get HIV if you get infected blood or sexual fluids into
your system.
You
can't get it from mosquito bites, coughing or sneezing, sharing
household items, or swimming in the same pool as someone with
HIV.
Some people talk about "shared body fluids" being risky
for HIV, but no documented cases of HIV have been caused by sweat,
saliva or tears. However, even small amounts of blood in your
mouth might transmit HIV during kissing or oral sex. Blood can
come from flossing your teeth, or from sores caused by gum disease,
or by eating very hot or sharp, pointed food.To infect someone,
the virus has to get past the body's defenses. These include skin
and saliva. If your skin is not cut, it protects you against infection
from blood or sexual fluids. Saliva contains chemicals that can
help kill HIV in your mouth.If HIV-infected blood or sexual fluid
gets inside your body, you can get infected. This can happen through
an open sore or wound, during sexual activity, or if you share
equipment to inject drugs
.HIV
can also be spread from a mother to her infant during pregnancy
or delivery. This is called "vertical transmission."
A baby can also be infected by drinking an infected woman's breast
milk.
AIDS is currently
the leading cause of death in men between the ages of 25 and 44
in the United States.
Think women aren't at risk? Think again. AIDS is the fourth leading
cause of death in women in this age group.
In
the United States, there are about 800,000 to 900,000 people who
are HIV-positive. Over 300,000 people are living with AIDS. Each
year, there are 50,000 new infections. In the mid-1990s, AIDS
was the leading cause of death. However, newer treatments have
cut the AIDS death rate significantly.
You might not
know if you get infected by HIV. Some people get fever, headache,
sore muscles and joints, stomach ache, swollen lymph glands,
or a skin rash for one or two weeks. Most people think it's
the flu. Some people have no symptoms.
The virus will
multiply in your body for a few weeks or even months before
your immune system responds. During this time, you won't test
positive for HIV, but you can infect other people.
When your immune
system responds, it starts to make antibodies. When you start
making antibodies, you will test positive for HIV.
After the first
flu-like symptoms, some people with HIV stay healthy for ten
years or longer. But during this time, HIV is damaging your
immune system.
One way to measure
the damage to your immune system is to see how many CD4+ cells
you have. These cells, also called "T-helper" cells,
are an important part of the immune system. Healthy people have
between 500 and 1,500 CD4+cells in milliliter of blood.
Without treatment,
your CD4+ cell count will most likely go down. You might start
having signs of HIV disease like fevers, night sweats, diarrhea,
or swollen lymph nodes. If you have HIV disease, these problems
will last more than a few days, and probably continue for several
weeks.
There is no cure
for AIDS. There are drugs that can slow down the HIV virus, and
slow down the damage to your immune system. But there is no way
to get all the HIV out of your body.
There are other
drugs that you can take to prevent or to treat some of the opportunistic
infections (OIs). In most cases, these drugs work very well. The
newer, stronger anti-HIV drugs have also helped reduce the rates
of most OIs. A few OIs, however, are still very difficult to treat.
Short of avoiding
sex entirely, you can protect yourself by having safer sex.
Stay with one partner with whom you have discussed AIDS and
who is prepared to have safer sex. Latex condoms have been shown
to prevent HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Personal items such as razors and toothbrushes also may be blood-contaminated.
Do not share them with an infected person.
You can arrange
for HIV testing at any Public Health office, or at your doctor's
office. Test results are usually available within two weeks. In
New Mexico, call the AIDS Hotline at 800-545-2437 to locate a
test site. In other states, call the National AIDS Hotline, (800)
342-2437.
The most common
HIV test is a blood test. However, newer tests detect HIV antibodies
in saliva or urine. Saliva tests will be available soon at New
Mexico Department of Health testing sites.
Home test kits:
No approved HIV test kit will give you a result at home. The Home
Access test kit is approved, but it is designed for you to collect
a sample of your blood at home. Then you send the sample to a
laboratory where it is tested for HIV.
There are other
drugs that you can take to prevent or to treat some of the opportunistic
infections (OIs). In most cases, these drugs work very well. The
newer, stronger anti-HIV drugs have also helped reduce the rates
of most OIs. A few OIs, however, are still very difficult to treat.
There is no cure
for AIDS. There are drugs that can slow down the HIV virus, and
slow down the damage to your immune system. But there is no way
to get all the HIV out of your body.
There are other
drugs that you can take to prevent or to treat some of the opportunistic
infections (OIs). In most cases, these drugs work very well. The
newer, stronger anti-HIV drugs have also helped reduce the rates
of most OIs. A few OIs, however, are still very difficult to treat.
* Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. These products are dietary supplements
and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any
disease. Always consult with your health care provider before
adding any substances to your diet or making any lifestyle
changes.
