Burning Issues

 

Understanding HIV/AIDS and Its Treatment


HIV


HIV and AIDS
H I V  stands for “Human Immunodeficiency Virus” HIV is a virus  that infects blood and damages your ability to fight disease A I D S  stands for “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome”

 

AIDS is the disease caused by HIV. People with AIDS lose their ability to fight germs that can make them sick

 

How do you get HIV?

 

You can get HIV from the blood or certain other body fluids of an infected person
When fluid that is infected with HIV gets into your blood, then you can get infected too HIV can be in:

  • Blood
  • Vaginal fluid
  • Semen/sperm
  • Breast milk

 

Modes of Spread of HIV

 

HIV is passed through body fluid from one person to another:

 

1. Through direct contact with infected blood or body fluids

  • Transfusion
  • Drug users especially injectables.
  • Sharing shaving kits.
  • Piercing with a sharp object from an infected person
  • Traditional rituals e g circumcision, uvulectomy, tattooing etc

 

2. From an infected expectant mother to her child.

 

  • In uterus before birth.
  • During delivery
  • During breast feeding.

 

3. Through unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person. This is the highest mode of transmission to include; heterosexuals, homosexuals, anal and oral sex.

 

You can be tested for HIV

 

  • A simple blood test
  • Unless it has been 6 months since you became infected, a blood test may not show HIV
  • Retest every 3 months if you are at risk
  • The standard test looks for a reaction to HIV from your immune system

 

How does HIV affect the body?

 

Without treatment, the immune system is weakened by HIV, different diseases will start to overcome the person, and they will eventually die.

 

The road from HIV to AIDS

 

Infection Stage

 

Flu-like symptoms, which last for one – two weeks, such as:

  • Fever
  • Muscle and joint pains
  • Swollen lymph nodes


Some people do not have any symptoms at all. The “window period”, which lasts for several weeks to three months, is the period after infection with HIV when a person will not test positive.  The infected person can still spread the virus, even though the test does not turn up positive.

 

Asymptomatic Stage


At this stage, which may last up to ten years or more, the infected person has no symptoms. 


The immune system, as measured by the CD4 count, keeps the amount of HIV in the body (“viral load”) at relatively low levels.

 

Early Symptomatic Stage


At this stage, the immune system (CD4 count) falls, and non-specific symptoms such as fever, chest infections, diarrhea and weight loss develop. 
This stage lasts about three years without ARVs.  Anti-retroviral treatment (ART) helps extend the length of time an infected person can stay healthy and slows the progression of disease.

 

Late Symptomatic Stage


At this stage, the viral load rises, and the immune system is severely weakened.
Opportunistic infections (infections that take advantage of a weekend immune system) like cryptococcal meningitis, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and tuberculosis, and HIV-related cancers like Kaposi’s sarcoma develop.


This stage may last one to three years.  Without treatment, the immune system weakens until the person eventually dies.  Again, ARVs slow the progression of HIV.

 

WHO Stages of HIV


WHO stages are clinical stages of HIV disease that doctors and nurses use to determine ARV treatment eligibility.


These are similar to the stages pictured above; however there are specific opportunistic infections that fall within each WHO stage.


Community health workers will not need to memorize these stages but being familiar with them will help them understand why some patients have not started ARV therapy.

 

WHO Stages of HIV


WHO Stage 1:    Asymptomatic
WHO Stage 2: Minor symptoms including skin disorders, swollen glands and respiratory tract infections.
WHO Stage3:     Repeated oral thrush, pulmonary           tuberculosis, pneumonia, chronic diarrhea
WHO Stage 4: Severe wasting and other opportunistic infections (e.g. cryptococcal meningitis, Kaposi’s sarcoma, TB meningitis.)

 

Myths about HIV

 

  • Witchcraft causes HIV
  • All people with TB have HIV
  • Fat people can not have HIV
  • Condoms do not protect you from HIV
  • Having sex with a very young virgin child will cure you from HIV
  • Mosquitoes give you HIV
  • People with HIV have been immoral and deserve the consequences

 

Your body’s immune system


The immune system works in your body to fight germs and keep you healthy
T cells are the “soldiers” of your immune system
T cells recognize germs in your body, and they work with other cells to destroy them.


How your immune system fights HIV


“Killer” T cells (CTLs) can find and destroy cells that are infected with HIV
HIV infects “helper”  T cells (CD4 cells)
Helper T cells order “killer” T cells to do their job
When the “helper” T cells are destroyed by HIV, the immune system does not know how to fight germs.

 

There is a war between your body and HIV


Billions of viruses are created every day
HIV attacks and infects your T cells
Your immune system attacks and kills the T cells that have been infected with HIV


HIV eventually drains your immune system


When T cells are killed by HIV, they are replaced—but not as quickly as they are
being killed
HIV reproduces very fast
Eventually, T cells fall too far behind and then cannot do their job of fighting germs.


The amount of virus in your blood can predict how well you will do.


Viral load—the number of copies of HIV in a small amount of blood .
The lower your viral load the better.
Viral load is different for each person.
When viral load increases, then you are getting closer to AIDS and severe illness


When viral load goes up, immunity goes down


When there are more HIV, they infect and kill more T cells
T cells are needed to fight HIV and other germs
Eventually, your body cannot produce T cells as fast as they are killed by HIV


When immunity goes down, you get sick


Eventually you don’t have enough T cells to fight HIV and other germs that enter your body
When this happens you get closer to having AIDS
You may start to get AIDS when the number of helper T cells (CD4 cells) in your blood gets very low (less than 200)


Untreated HIV infection is like being chased by a dog


Untreated HIV is a race most people cannot win
There is time to act before you get caught (AIDS disease)


Treatment slows the dog


Treatment slows down the dog (HIV) so it can’t run as fast
When the dog runs slower, your viral load goes down
When viral load is down, you are doing better against HIV


Summary: HIV infection is a disease of the immune system

 

  • HIV is a virus that infects blood
  • HIV is passed from one person to another through blood or certain body fluids
  • HIV reproduces very fast and attacks and kills T cells
  • T cells are needed to fight HIV and other germs
  • Viral load measures how much HIV is in your blood and predicts how well you will do
  • CD4 cell count measures how well your immune system fights germs

 

 

Click here to air out any burning issue

 

 

 

 

©2011 All Rights Reserved