How Is Hiv Recognized
Doctors use laboratory tests to confirm HIV infection. The Elisa and Western Blot analyses identify people who have been exposed to HIV. These tests determine if the blood contains particular antibodies that result from contact with the virus. They do not identify who among a group of infected individuals will develop the disease. The presence of antibodies or HIV markers means the person has been infected with HIV but no one can predict when and if they will get AIDS related symptoms.
Doctors diagnose AIDS by blood tests and the presence of specific illnesses such as pneumocystis carinii pneumonia or Kaposi’s sarcoma. These diseases overcome the weakened immune system and are responsible for the high death rate among AIDS patients.
Rare Ways Hiv Is Transmitted
Activities that seldom, but can, lead to HIV transmission include:
- oral sex
There are a number of methods that reduce the risk of contracting HIV:
- use condoms or other forms of barrier protection during sexual contact
- never sharing needles for injectable drugs or medications
- get tested regularly for HIV and other STIs
If a person is living with HIV, consider the above precautions and take additional measures. Following an antiretroviral medication regimen can reduce viral load and reduce the likelihood of transmission to others.
Another way to reduce the spread of HIV is by taking pre-exposure prophylactic medications. Also, post-exposure prophylaxis can be used to prevent HIV infection if someone is exposed to the virus.
Ways Hiv Cannot Be Spread
HIV is not spread by:
- Air or water
- Mosquitoes, ticks or other insects
- Saliva, tears, or sweat that is not mixed with the blood of a person with HIV
- Shaking hands hugging sharing toilets sharing dishes, silverware, or drinking glasses or engaging in closed-mouth or social kissing with a person with HIV
- Drinking fountains
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Can You Get Hiv From Kissing
It is very unlikely to get HIV from kissing someone who has the virus.
HIV can only be found in saliva in trace amounts and the natural enzymes and antibodies in your saliva prevent the virus from infecting new cells.
“To get HIV, you need to have enough of the virus particulates in your bodily fluids. The highest amounts of the virus particulates live in blood, semen, and vaginal fluids. You have a few particles in the saliva but it’s not enough to infect you,” says Stella Safo, MD, an HIV primary care provider at Mount Sinai Health System, New York.
But Safo says that you should be wary of kissing someone with HIV if they have gaping mouth sores or cuts.
“The only way you could get HIV from kissing is if you had big cuts in your mouth and kissed someone with big cuts in their mouth, and there is an exchange of blood. However, that isn’t how a regular kissing experience typically goes,” Safo says.
Can You Catch Hiv From Kissing
No. Evidence shows that the HIV virus is spread through the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal fluids, but not saliva.
Although HIV can be detected in saliva, it can’t be passed to other people through kissing because a combination of antibodies and enzymes found naturally in saliva prevent HIV infecting new cells.
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Is Hiv Transmitted Through Food
It is important for all of us to make decisions based on facts and not rely on plain hearsay.
Cases like this not only highlights our gullibility but also point to how ignorant we are about such a fatal disease.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is a spectrum of conditions caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
HIV is transmitted only by specific means. Only certain body fluids like blood, semen, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milkfrom a person who has HIV can transmit HIV. For HIV to be transmitted, these fluids must come in contact with damaged tissue or have to be directly injected into the bloodstream.
The most common causes of HIV transmission are- having unprotected intercourse with someone who has HIV, by being stuck with an HIV-contaminated needle or syringe, from mother who is having HIV to child during childbirth and breastfeeding or by receiving blood transfusions, blood products, or organ/tissue transplants that are contaminated with HIV.
Coming to the main question, does HIV transmit through food? The answer is no.
We are living in a time where there is an abundance of information, however, this doesnt mean that everything we read or hear is true. It is important for us to look out for facts. Another important duty is to educate others about fake news/information. The Logical Indian encourages everybody to verify any piece of information that they come across, before sharing.
Why Hiv Cannot Be Transmitted Through Mosquitoes
From a biological perspective, mosquito bites do not result in blood-to-blood transmission . The mosquito trunk does not act as a syringe. Instead, it is made up of two one-way canals, one of which draws blood, while the other injects saliva and anticoagulants that enable the mosquito to feed more efficiently. As such, blood itself is not injected from person to person, and that’s important for a number of reasons.
While diseases such as yellow fever and malaria are readily transmitted through the salivary secretions of certain species of mosquitoes, HIV does not have the ability to survive in insects, because they do not have the host cells the virus needs to replicate. Instead, the virus is digested within the mosquito’s gut, along with the blood cells on which the insect feeds, and destroyed quickly.
HIV may survive for a very short period of time in a mosquito stomach. Does that mean killing a mosquito carrying blood poses a risk? The answer is also no. It is virtually impossible to become infected by contact with the HIV virus after it has reached open air. Not only that, but the infinitesimal quantity of virus that a mosquito might carry would make transmission invariably impossible. In order to ensure viability, it would take around 10 million mosquitoesall simultaneously bitingto enable transmission to a single person.
Because it meets none of these conditions, HIV transmission through mosquito bites is considered impossible.
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How Long Does It Take To Develop The Disease
There is no fixed period between the first contact with HIV and the development of the disease. Signs and symptoms resulting from infection with HIV develop in stages. Many infected individuals may have no symptoms for several years. But others may develop symptoms within three years from the time of infection.
Symptoms of HIV infection are fever, swollen lymph glands in the neck and armpits, sweating, aches, fatigue, unexplained weight loss and diarrhea.
Within eight years, about 50 percent of all infected people develop specific conditions categorized as AIDS. These conditions include a lung disease called “pneumocystis carinii pneumonia,” skin tumours called “Kaposi’s sarcoma,” fungal and viral infections such as candidiasis and herpes zoster, and severe diarrhea.
Some AIDS patients also suffer from dementia resulting in problems with memory and thinking. AIDS patients are prone to various infections of the brain, just as they suffer from an unusually high number of cancers, bacterial and viral infections of other parts of the body.
Isnt Hiv Only A Risk For Certain Groups Of People
Like most illnesses, HIV doesnt discriminate between types of people and the infection can be passed on to anyone via one of the ways mentioned above.
Some people are more vulnerable to HIV infection if they engage regularly in certain activities that are more likely to transmit the virus. However, its a common misunderstanding that HIV only affects certain groups.
While not everyone has the same level of HIV risk, everyone can reduce their risk of infection.
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How Do You Get Hiv From Semen Or Vaginal Fluid
Body fluids including semen and vaginal secretions can contain HIV. If a person has HIV and a detectable viral load, HIV can passed on to someone if their semen or vaginal secretions get into the body of a sexual partner during vaginal or anal sex.
If a man has HIV and a detectable viral load, one of his body fluids where the virus is found is his semen.
If he has a detectable viral load and his semen gets into the body of his sexual partner during sex, then HIV can get into the other persons bloodstream.
Pre-cum also contains HIV this is why there is a risk of infection even if a man pulls out of his partner before he ejaculates.
If a woman has HIV and she has a detectable viral load, one of her body fluids where the virus is found is in her vaginal secretions.
If these come into contact with a penis during sex, then HIV could be transmitted. The virus in her secretions can enter through the delicate skin of the penis or foreskin.
What Should I Do If I Need To Clean Up Blood
HIV does not usually survive long outside of the body, but contact with blood should be avoided.
Hepatitis C can survive in dried blood at room temperature for several weeks, and hepatitis B can survive in dried blood for around a week outside the body.
To clean up blood that has been spilled, wear rubber gloves and mop up the liquid using bleach and warm water . Use warm, soapy water to clean away blood spilled on someones body.
Put the waste, used gloves and bloodied clothes in a plastic bag, seal and throw away.
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Do Condoms Stop Hiv Being Passed On
Yes.Using a condom correctly prevents contact with semen or vaginal secretions , stopping HIV from being passed on. The virus cannot pass through the latex of the condom.
Condoms should only be used with a water-based lubricant as oil-based lube weakens them.
People with HIV who are on effective treatment and have an undetectable viral load cannot pass on HIV through any of their body fluids.
Its also important to remember that if you have sex without a condom other sexually transmitted infections can be passed on.
Sex without a condom can also result in pregnancy if other contraception is not being used.
Why Have Some Populations Been More Affected By Hiv Than Others
One reason some groups and geographic areas have been more affected by HIV than others is because the HIV prevalence the percent of the population that has HIV is already high. In other words, the chances of coming in contact with the virus is greater.
A common misperception is that groups with higher rates of HIV are acting less responsibly. In fact, research shows that this is not the case. Groups more at-risk for HIV are generally found to get tested more frequently, use condoms more often, and take other precautions to protect against HIV as compared with other groups. The chance of being exposed to the virus is just greater in these social networks and so the response must also be greater.
Increased access to HIV treatment and care, along with earlier diagnosis, and use ofPrEPhas been shown to bring down rates of HIV even among areas with higher prevalence.
Choosing if and when to tell someone that you have HIV is a personal decision.
Having trusted friends and/or family who know your HIV status may help you manage your diagnosis.
Having this conversation may bring up a range of emotions. Some things you may want to consider when sharing this information:
If you dont have someone in your life you feel you can share this information with or want added support check out a local support group. You can talk with other people living with HIV and also get help from experts. Whats most important is that you get the support and care you deserve!
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Tattoos And Body Piercings
- There are no known cases in the United States of anyone getting HIV this way.
- However, it is possible to get HIV from tattooing or body piercing if the equipment used for these procedures has someone elses blood in it or if the ink is shared. This is more likely to happen when the person doing the procedure is unlicensed because of the potential for unsanitary practices such as sharing needles or ink.
- If you get a tattoo or a body piercing, be sure that the person doing the procedure is properly licensed and that they use only new or sterilized needles, ink, and other supplies.
How Hiv Is Transmitted
Fluids that can transmit HIV include:
- Blood
- Vaginal fluids
- Breast milk
- An infected mother to her infant through pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding
- Oral sex, especially if it involves ejaculation in the mouth
- Infected blood from mouth sores and bleeding gums, such as through “deep” open-mouth kissing, biting that breaks the skin, and eating food that’s been prechewed by an HIV-positive person
- HIV-contaminated needles and objects that puncture the skin, especially needle-stick injuries in the healthcare setting
- Blood and clotting factor transfusions, and organ and tissue transplants
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How Hiv Cannot Be Spread
From both a biological and epidemiological evidence, HIV cannot and has never been shown to be passed from one person to the next by the following means:
- Touching, hugging, kissing or shaking hands
- Touching an object an HIV-positive person has touched
- Sharing utensils or cups
- Eating food prepared by an HIV-positive person
- Sharing grooming items, even toothbrushes or razors
- Getting spit on by an HIV-positive person
- Getting bitten by an HIV-positive person
- Touching semen or vaginal fluid
- Getting blood from an HIV-positive person on you
- Using public fountains, toilet seats, or showers
To date, there has not been a single documented case of transmission by any of these means.
Can Analingus Result In Hiv Transmission
For this answer, we turn back to Bob Frascino, M.D.:
“Although there have been no documented cases of acquiring HIV from rimming or being rimmed, there are a number of other significant STIs that can easily be transmitted through rimming, including hepatitis A, herpes, and intestinal parasites. You can decrease the risk by using a dental dam barrier .
“As for whether to rim or not, only you can decide what level of risk you are willing to take. At least now you have the facts.”
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How Does Hiv Work
The full scientific name for HIV is human immunodeficiency virus. Its an infection that attacks the immune system, and it operates like this:
- The virus itself is shaped like a bowling ball covered in tiny spikes
- After HIV enters the bloodstream, it uses those tiny spikes to latch on to white blood cells , the bodys first line of defense against infections
- As soon as HIV gets inside white blood cells, it uses the cells own machinery to create copies of itself, creating effective camouflage that tricks the immune system into leaving it alone
- As HIV creates even more copies of itself, it hijacks a persons immune system
- A weakened immune system means that people living with untreated HIV may start to get all sorts of infections that would never normally make them sickEventually, without proper treatment, HIV leads to AIDS and becomes life-threatening
Todays anti-HIV medicines have been designed to address each stage of the infection process.
Some of these medications, which are also called antiretrovirals, stop HIVs spikes from latching on to CD4 cells. Others use different methods to stop HIV from replicating.
These drugs cant completely eradicate the virus from a persons body, but they do successfully stifle its ability to make copies of itself.
Doubts Persist Even When Risk Is Statistically Zero
Despite increased public awareness about HIV, there remains a lot of confusion about how you can get infected and how you cannot. For example, even though people understand that you can’t get HIV from utensils, there are many who will experience a twinge of concern if they learned that the chef of their favorite restaurant has HIV.
HIV has a way of spurring anxieties in even the best of us and, with it, our sense of reason. Relieving those anxieties often requires us to do more than just lay out the rules. Instead, we need to understand what conditions are required for an infection to take place and why things like hugging, touching, sneezing, or kissing simply do not satisfy those conditions.
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Can Sharing Dishes Or Drinking Glasses Spread Hiv
Dr. Flash clears up how HIV is and is NOT spread.
You cannot get HIV through casual contact like sharing dishes or drinking glasses, toilet seats, or holding hands. HIV is also not spread through sweat, tears, saliva, or kissing.
The most common way HIV is spread is through unprotected sex with someone with HIV who is not aware of their status or not on antiretrovirals . Unprotected here refers to sex without condoms or the use of medications that reduce the risk of passing HIV from one person to another. HIV can also be transmitted by sharing needles.
#AskTheHIVDoc is a video series from Greater Than AIDS featuring top HIV doctors providing answers to commonly-asked questions about HIV prevention, testing and treatment.
This information is shared for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The views expressed are those of the featured medical professional and reflect information available to that professional at time of filming. Always consult a health care provider for any personal health decision.
While we make every effort to keep the medical information on our website updated, we cannot guarantee that the information reflects the most up-to-date research. Also, please note the views expressed by individuals who appear in Greater Than AIDS videos and other content are their own and are not made on behalf of any groups/organizations/associations.