Should I Have Oral Sex
Talking to your partner about protection before you start having oral sex will help make things easier. This may feel embarrassing but taking responsibility for protecting yourself and your partner is an important part of having sex. If you find it too awkward to talk about then you may not be ready to have oral sex just yet.
You should never give or receive oral sex just because you feel forced into it. Dont be pressured into any sex act by comments like it doesnt mean weve had real sex youll still be a virgin, or if you dont want sex at least go down on me, or its not as risky as having intercourse. If one of you isnt comfortable with the decision it can ruin the whole experience. Oral sex should be fun for both of you.
Our article Am I ready for sex? will help you work out what is right for you.
Means And Requirements For Hiv Transmission
People may become infected with HIV if they engage in specific risk behaviors or if they are exposed through needlestick injuries . Other blood contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin provides a possible, but not probable, chance of transmission.
HIV is transmitted through:
- Unprotected anal, vaginal, and oral intercourse
- Sharing needles or other injection equipment
- A mother passing the virus to her baby either before or during birth
- An infected woman breastfeeding her infant
- Accidental needlestick injuries, or infected body fluid coming into contact with the broken skin or mucous membranes of another person
- A transfusion prior to 1986 of HIV-infected blood or blood products
In extremely rare cases, HIV can be transmitted by sharing razors or toothbrushes, if infected blood from one person was deposited on the toothbrush or razor and the blood entered the bloodstream of another person.
The transmission of HIV depends upon:
- The availability of the infectious agent in sufficient quantity
- The viability of the infectious agent
- The virulence of the infectious agent
- The ability of the infectious agent to reach the bloodstream, mucous membranes, or broken skin of a potential host
One of the predictors of the infectious level of an HIV-positive person is viral load, which is how much HIV is present in the bloodstream. Studies show a clear connection between higher viral load in the blood and increased transmissibility of HIV.
Test Your Learning
Answer: d
Blood Transfusions
Can You Catch Hiv From Kissing
No, you cannot catch HIV from kissing. 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 cannot be passed to other people through kissing because a combination of antibodies and enzymes found naturally in saliva prevent HIV infecting new cells.
Don’t Miss: How Long Can Aids Go Undetected
How Do I Talk To My Partner About Their Risk Of Acquiring Hiv
People living with HIV can involve their partners in their treatment plans. Research shows that adhering to treatment often can improve with support from loving relationships and from the community.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis , in which an HIV-negative person takes antiretroviral medication to prevent infection, can be part of the conversation. Learn more about PrEP.
Intensive Care Of Hiv
Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, respiratory failure has been the most common indication for intensive care unit admission among patients with HIV infection . In the early years of the HIV pandemic, respiratory failure due to PCP was by far the most common disorder that prompted ICU admission and outcomes were uniformly dismal . ICU care was perceived as futile by physicians. Since then, the proportion of ICU admissions caused by respiratory failure has declined, but respiratory failure remains the most common indication for ICU admission in the current era of HAART bacterial pneumonia and PCP are the leading causes of acute respiratory failure, but the proportion of PCP has decreased . Survival for critically ill HIV-infected patients continues to improve in the current era and could be comparable to the overall survival in non-HIV ICU patients . Consequently, clinicians should no longer consider HIV infection as the driving factor for determining outcome in patients with HIV infection and respiratory failure .
You May Like: Walgreens At Home Hiv Test
Does Being Durably Undetectable Mean That The Virus Has Left My Body
Even when viral load is undetectable, HIV is still present in the body. The virus lies dormant inside a small number of cells in the body called viral reservoirs. When therapy is halted by missing doses, taking a treatment holiday or stopping treatment, the virus emerges and begins to multiply, becoming detectable in the blood again. This newly reproducing virus is infectious. It is essential to take every pill every day as directed to achieve and maintain a durably undetectable status.
What Diseases Can You Get From A Hot Tub
When not maintained and cleaned properly, hot tubs provide an ideal environment for bacteria and viruses to grow, causing skin, eye, and ear infections, as well as other serious diseases.
Because of the high temperature of water in a hot tub, some disinfectants like chlorine break down faster and become ineffective, leading to contamination. In addition to waterborne diseases, its important to keep in mind that sitting in a hot tub for too long can also cause heat-related illnesses, such as nausea, dizziness, fainting, and even death.
You May Like: Does Nba Youngboy Have Aids
How To Clean And Disinfect Hot Tubs
Most pathogens can be controlled by maintaining the cleanliness of the water using disinfectants, the most common being chlorine and bromine. Some pathogens can be hard to kill, however and require additional precautions. For example, Cryptosporidium is resistant to chlorine disinfectant.
It is also important to maintain proper pH levels of the water in the hot tub. The temperature in a hot tub should not be higher than 104 degrees F, or 102 degrees F for pregnant women.
The more a hot tub or pool is used, the more often disinfection is required. It is important to check the disinfectant level and add chlorine or other disinfectants if it is low, even if the hot tub or pool will not be used for a while. Hot tubs should also be scrubbed, including the drain, and the filters and pumping systems should also be cleaned and serviced regularly.
You should keep in mind that bacteria and dirt on the surfaces around the hot tub, such as the deck or floor, can contaminate the water when someone enters the hot tub. Therefore, those areas should also be cleaned with a bleach solution.
Before and after using a hot tub, make sure to shower or bathe with soap. Avoid hot tubs if you are sick or have an open wound so that you dont spread bacteria in the water.
After I Begin Hiv Treatment How Long Does It Take For The Risk Of Sexually Transmitting Hiv To Become Effectively Zero
There is effectively no risk of sexual transmission of HIV when the partner living with HIV has achieved an undetectable viral load and then maintained it for at least six months. Most people living with HIV who start taking antiretroviral therapy daily as prescribed achieve an undetectable viral load within one to six months after beginning treatment.
A persons viral load is considered durably undetectable when all viral load test results are undetectable for at least six months after their first undetectable test result. This means that most people will need to be on treatment for 7 to 12 months to have a durably undetectable viral load. It is essential to take every pill every day to maintain durably undetectable status.
Read Also: Hiv Causes Hair Loss
Myth 1: If Me Or My Partner Were Hiv Positive We Could Not Have Children
HIV infected women are fertile and can have children. If mothers and their babies use the correct medication, its possible for HIV-positive women to have HIV-negative babies.
Without using drugs, there is a 30% chance that HIV-infected women will pass the virus onto their babies in the womb, during birth or by breastfeeding. But if the mother and baby, or even just one of them, use short courses of ARVs, mostly nevirapine and AZT, transmission rates are reduced significantly. This treatment is available for free at government clinics and hospitals.
At the time of publication, Mia Malan worked for the Discovery Centre for Health Journalism at Rhodes University.
When Should You Call The Doctor If You Have Hiv Or You Think You Have Been Exposed To Hiv
There is also post-exposure prophylaxis , which is used in emergencies and should be started within 72 hours after the possible exposure. This involves taking antiretroviral therapy after this exposure. ART may be prescribed after sexual assault, or if you think you have been exposed during consensual sex or drug-taking.
If you already know you have HIV, you should follow your healthcare providers instructions on when to call. It is important to treat any type of infection, so call if you have new symptoms or things like a fever, sweating episodes, diarrhea, and so on. Its better to check with your doctor if you have any kind of symptom that worries you.
The main feature of managing AIDS is to continue to take your medicines and to fight back at opportunistic infections at the first sign of them.
Recommended Reading: How Long Can Hiv Be Dormant In Your System
How Do You Get Hiv
HIV is carried in semen , vaginal fluids, anal mucus, blood, and breast milk. The virus gets in your body through cuts or sores in your skin, and through mucous membranes . You can get HIV from:
-
having vaginal or anal sex
-
sharing needles or syringes for shooting drugs, piercings, tattoos, etc.
-
getting stuck with a needle that has HIV-infected blood on it
-
getting HIV-infected blood, semen , or vaginal fluids into open cuts or sores on your body
HIV is usually spread through having unprotected sex. Using condoms and/or dental dams every time you have sex and not sharing needles can help protect you and your partners from HIV. If you do have HIV, treatment can lower or even stop the chances of spreading the virus to other people during sex. If you dont have HIV, theres also a daily medicine called PrEP that can protect you from HIV.
HIV can also be passed to babies during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. A pregnant woman with HIV can take medicine to greatly reduce the chance that her baby will get HIV.
HIV isnt spread through saliva , so you CANT get HIV from kissing, sharing food or drinks, or using the same fork or spoon. HIV is also not spread through hugging, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing. And you cant get HIV from a toilet seat.
Pulmonary Infections In Patients With Hiv Infection
Bacterial pneumonia is currently the most frequent cause of pulmonary infections in HIV-infected patients, followed by PCP and TB, with different incidences depending on geographical area . In addition, endemic fungi, parasites and viruses contribute substantially to the burden of pulmonary disease in patients infected with HIV worldwide.
Recommended Reading: Average Hiv Life Expectancy
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- Is there any sure way to avoid acquiring HIV?
- What is the best treatment for me?
- How can I avoid getting any infections that will make me very sick?
- How can I find support groups in my community?
- What diagnostic tests will you run?
- How often will I need to see my doctor?
- Will there be any side effects to my treatment?
- How does this affect my plans for having a family?
- Is it safe for me to breastfeed my baby?
- Will using a condom keep my sex partners from acquiring HIV?
- Should I follow a special diet?
How Do You Treat Coronavirus
There is no vaccine for the virus and, because it is new, humans have not been able to build immunity to it.
A group of Melbourne researchers has been tasked with finding a vaccine, while China is testing the HIV drug Aluvia as a possible treatment.
Brisbane researchers have said they are within reach of finding a cure for COVID-19.
Recommended Reading: Nba Youngboy Truth About Herpes
What Happens To Your Lungs When You Get Covid
COVID-19 virus infection is so far the worst battle that mankind has ever witnessed. It is a severe respiratory disease that mainly targets the lungs, leading to several serious symptoms such as drop-in oxygen levels, trouble in breathing, etc. So what exactly happens to your lungs when you catch the virus? According to the studies, the virus gets into the body through respiratory organs such as the mouth, nose, etc. After entering the body the virus comes in contact with the mucous membranes which are present in the respiratory tract innings. The virus then enters one healthy cell and the cell, in turn, makes new virus parts. This one cell then multiplies, and the new viruses then infect the other cells present nearby. The virus then splits into smaller and smaller branches in the lungs. Thus infecting the lungs and the alveoli slowly, leading to symptoms like breathing issues, cough, etc.
If You Already Have Hiv
If you are infected with HIV, you can greatly lower the risk of spreading the infection to your sex partner by starting treatment when your immune system is still healthy.
Experts recommend starting treatment as soon as you know you are infected.footnote 19
Studies have shown that early treatment greatly lowers the risk of spreading HIV to an uninfected partner.footnote 20, footnote 21
Your partner may also be able to take medicine to prevent getting infected.footnote 15 This is called pre-exposure prophylaxis .
Steps to prevent spreading HIV
If you are HIV-positive or have engaged in sex or needle-sharing with someone who could be infected with HIV, take precautions to prevent spreading the infection to others.
- Take antiretroviral medicines. Getting treated for HIV can help prevent the spread of HIV to people who are not infected.
- Tell your sex partner or partners about your behavior and whether you are HIV-positive.
- Follow safer sex practices, such as using condoms.
- Do not donate blood, plasma, semen, body organs, or body tissues.
- Do not share personal items, such as toothbrushes, razors, or sex toys, that may be contaminated with blood, semen, or vaginal fluids.
Read Also: Free Hiv Testing Planned Parenthood
Pulmonary Tuberculosis In Hiv
As the reported seroprevalence of HIV in children with TB ranges from 10 to 60%, it is important to consider TB in a child with proven or suspected HIV. Similarly, the risk of developing TB disease in HIV-infected children in a TB endemic setting is over 20 times higher than in HIV-uninfected children. This explains the high prevalence of HIV infection in children with TB in TB/HIV endemic regions, and the potential of antiretroviral therapy for reducing the risk of TB.
The clinical presentation of TB in children with suspected or proven HIV can be the same as in HIV-negative children , except for the following points:
-
HIV-infected children have an increased risk of developing primary progressive TB because of the associated immune suppression.
What Are Hiv And Aids
- HIV is a virus that attacks and weakens a person’s immune system. The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body and fight off germs and diseases.
- If the immune system of an HIV-positive person gets so weak that it can no longer fight off a range of health problems it would normally be able to cope with, the person is considered to have AIDS.
- HIV can be passed from person to person through blood, semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk and other body fluids. It can happen:
- When a person has sex with someone who has the HIV virus and they do not use a condom
- When people exchange infected needles or syringes
- During pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding, when an HIV-positive mom can pass the virus to her baby .
Don’t Miss: Nba Youngboy Herpes Song
It Would Take Too Many Bites
HIV actually isnt very easily transmittable. It takes a large amount of the virus being transmitted for someone to contract it.
Even if some HIV were still in a mosquitos body when it bit you if it had yet to be fully digested there wouldnt be enough of it to transmit to you.
HIV is transmitted through direct contact with certain bodily fluids that contain HIV. These fluids include:
- blood
- rectal fluids
These fluids must enter the persons body for them to contract HIV.
HIV is mainly transmitted through sex without a condom or other barrier method, and through the sharing of needles.
In some cases, HIV can be transmitted during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. However, antiretroviral therapy can greatly lower the risk of this occurring, and its safe to take during pregnancy.
HIV is highly unlikely to be transmitted through saliva.
HIV can only be transmitted when a person with the virus has a detectable viral load . Taking daily medication for HIV can lead to an undetectable viral load, which means HIV cant be transmitted to others.