What Causes Hiv And Aids

Using Safe Injection Practices

Intravenous drug use is a key means of HIV transmission. Sharing needles and other drug equipment can expose a person to HIV and other viruses, such as hepatitis C.

Anyone who injects any drug should do so with a clean, unused needle.

Needle exchange and addiction recovery programs can help reduce the prevalence of HIV.

Is There A Vaccine For Hiv

Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent or treat HIV. Research and testing on experimental vaccines are ongoing, but none are close to being approved for general use.

HIV is a complicated virus. It mutates rapidly and is often able to fend off immune system responses. Only a small number of people who have HIV develop broadly neutralizing antibodies, the kind of antibodies that can respond to a range of HIV strains.

The first HIV vaccine efficacy study in 7 years was underway in South Africa in 2016. The experimental vaccine is an updated version of one used in a 2009 trial that took place in Thailand.

A 3.5-year follow-up after vaccination showed the vaccine was 31.2 percent effective in preventing HIV transmission.

The study involves 5,400 men and women from South Africa. In 2016 in South Africa, about contracted HIV. The results of the study are expected in 2021.

Other late-stage, multinational vaccine clinical trials are also currently underway.

Other research into an HIV vaccine is also ongoing.

While theres still no vaccine to prevent HIV, people with HIV can benefit from other vaccines to prevent HIV-related illnesses. Here are the CDC recommendations:

• pneumonia:

Why Do Some People With Hiv Infection Develop Aids

Over time, untreated HIV infection damages the immune system and makes it more difficult to fight infections and cancers.

Before there were effective treatments for HIV infection, all infected people went on to develop AIDS within about 10 years. Today, people with HIV who take effective treatment are unlikely to develop AIDS and will have a near-normal life expectancy. This is because these medicines keep the amount of virus in their blood under control and protect the immune system.

Don’t Miss: Can I Get Hiv From Someone Who Is Undetectable

Is It Safe For Children With Hiv To Receive Routine Immunizations

• MMR, or measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, is safe to give to children with HIV, unless they have a severely weakened immune system.

• DTaP/Td vaccine is safe to give to infants and children with HIV.

• Hib and Hep B vaccines are safe to give to children with HIV.

• Hepatitis A and B vaccines are safe to give to HIV-positive children.

• VZIG should be considered for known HIV-positive children, depending on their immune status.

• A yearly influenza vaccine is recommended for children with HIV, as well as any individual living in the same household as a child with HIV. There are two types of influenza vaccine children and adults with HIV should receive the “shot” form of the vaccine–not the nasal spray form, as it contains a live virus. Pneumococcal vaccine can be safely administered to age-appropriate HIV-infected children.

Always consult with your child’s doctor regarding immunizations for an HIV-infected child.

Find 5 Major Causes Of Hiv/aids

HIV and AIDS are dramatically connected to form terrific threat to make people extremely worried. The originality of HIV is certainly derived from Africa. Simian Immunodeficiency Virus or SIV virus is found in chimps. The transmission of modified HIV to human society in 1920 indicates the arrival of AIDS to invade man. The chance of survival with longer life expectancy is reduced if patients are untreated. There is no cure to help AIDS infected people to live happily. Before treatment, know about five different causes of HIV/AIDS. The AIDS management society in America has tailored awesome preventive care program to assist people to avoid AIDS following special guidelines.

HIV Deactivates Immune System

HIV is a lethal virus which immobilizes the physical self-defense system. It makes a young patient infirm and incompetent to fight with germs. Scientists confirm the severity of AIDS in its acute stage to destruct humans faster. HIV germ attacks CD4 cells which are replicas of T cells to weaken the capability of humans to overpower diseases.

Major Causes of HIV/AIDS

• Oral sex/rectal fluid exchange

• Breast Feeding Another Cause of HIV/AIDS

• Through Unsterilized Needles

• Physical Contact Anal Sex /Semen Exchange/ RectalFluid Transmission

• Oral Sex

Treatment

Also Check: How Fast Does Hiv Spread In The Body

How Is Aids Diagnosed

Symptoms such as fever, weakness, and weight loss may be a sign that a persons HIV has advanced to AIDS. However, a diagnosis of AIDS is based on the following criteria:

• A drop in CD4 count to less than 200 cells/mm3. A CD4 count measures the number of CD4 cells in a sample of blood.OR
• The presence of certain opportunistic infections.

Although an AIDS diagnosis indicates severe damage to the immune system, HIV medicines can still help people at this stage of HIV infection.

How Is Hiv Diagnosed

Your doctor or sexual health clinic can order a blood test for HIV. They may also use a rapid test in the office that can provide a result within 30 minutes, but this will always need to be confirmed by laboratory tests.

Whatever type of test you have, it can take up to 24 days and sometimes longer after exposure for blood to show positive for infection with HIV. This is known as the window period. This means that you could have a negative test when you actually have an HIV infection. This is known as a false negative. So you may need more than one test over time to know for sure if you do or do not have HIV.

It is important to use safe sex and safe injecting practices while waiting for the test results. Maintaining these practices after testing, even if you get a negative result, will reduce your risk of future exposure and infection.

Recommended Reading: Which Is The Main Goal Of Hiv Treatment Brainly

Causes Or Mode Of Infection

The HIV infects the macrophages in the blood. Once they infect, the viral RNA enters the host cell and produces DNA with the help of reverse transcription. This viral DNA, then integrates into the host genome and produces multiple RNA copies by the process of transcription. These RNAs then form multiple copies of the virus and continue the infection in the same way.

At the same time, HIV also enters the T lymphocytes and continues the same set of events as it does in macrophages. This leads to a decrease in the number of helper T lymphocytes. Thus, the immunity of the body is considerably compromised. The immunity is lowered to such an extent that the infected person suffers from even minor infections, which is one of AIDS characteristic symptoms. Other symptoms include bouts of fever, diarrhoea and significant weight loss.

What Are The Symptoms Of Hiv And Aids

Within 2 to 4 weeks after infection with HIV, some people may have flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, or rash. The symptoms may last for a few days to several weeks. Other possible symptoms of HIV include night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and mouth ulcers. Having these symptoms do not mean you have HIV. Other illnesses can cause the same symptoms. Some people may not feel sick during early HIV infection . During this earliest stage of HIV infection, the virus multiplies rapidly. After the initial stage of infection, HIV continues to multiply but at very low levels.

More severe symptoms of HIV infection, such as a badly damaged immune system and signs of opportunistic infections, generally do not appear for many years until HIV has advanced to AIDS. People with AIDS have badly damaged immune systems that make them prone to opportunistic infections.

Without treatment with HIV medicines, HIV infection usually advances to AIDS in 10 years or longer, though it may advance faster in some people.

HIV transmission is possible at any stage of HIV infectioneven if a person with HIV has no symptoms of HIV.

Read Also: Are Hiv And Aids The Same

Hiv Infection Can Be Diagnosed By A Simple Test

On HIV transmission, the immune system produces antibodies against the virus. A blood or saliva test can detect those antibodies to determine if the virus is present. It can take several weeks after transmission for the HIV antibody test to come back positive.

Another test looks for antigens, which are proteins produced by the virus, and antibodies. This test can detect HIV just days after infection.

Both tests are accurate and easy to administer.

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.

Don’t Miss: Does Hiv Attack The Immune System

Treatment And Life Expectancy

If HIV develops into stage 3 HIV, life expectancy drops significantly. Its difficult to repair damage to the immune system at this point. Infections and other conditions, such as certain cancers, resulting from severe immune system impairment are common. However, with successful antiretroviral therapy and some immune system recovery, many people with stage 3 HIV live long lives.

With todays treatments for HIV infection, people can live with HIV and never have AIDS develop. Its also important to note that successful antiretroviral treatment and a sustained undetectable viral load greatly lowers the risk of transmitting the virus to a partner.

The Global Hiv/aids Epidemic

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is one of the worlds most serious public health challenges. But there is a global commitment to stopping new HIV infections and ensuring that everyone with HIV has access to HIV treatment.

According to UNAIDS:

Number of People with HIVThere were approximately 37.6 million people across the globe with HIV in 2020. Of these, 35.9 million were adults and 1.7 million were children .

New HIV InfectionsAn estimated 1.5 million individuals worldwide acquired HIV in 2020, marking a 30% decline in new HIV infections since 2010. Of these new HIV infections:

• 1.3 million were among adults
• 160,000 were among children

HIV TestingApproximately 84% of people with HIV globally knew their HIV status in 2020. The remaining 16% still need access to HIV testing services. HIV testing is an essential gateway to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.

HIV Treatment AccessAs of the end of 2020, 27.4 million people with HIV were accessing antiretroviral therapy globally. That means 10.2 million people are still waiting. HIV treatment access is key to the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat. People with HIV who are aware of their status, take ART daily as prescribed, and get and keep an undetectable viral load can live long, healthy lives and have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners.

• 84% knew their HIV status
• 73% were accessing ART
• 66% were virally suppressed

Don’t Miss: How Does One Get Hiv

Hiv And Aids: Causes Symptoms Prevention And Treatment

Learning that youre HIV positive can be devastating, but with proper treatment, you can live a long and healthy life. There are a number of drugs available to help you manage your health and infection status. In spite of that, there are some real health concerns that come with the diagnosis. Heres everything you need to know about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of HIV and AIDS, and how to prevent infection in the first place.

How Do You Get Tested For Hiv

The Canadian government estimates that there are around 62,000 people living with HIV in the country and that 13% are unaware of their status. If you have a higher risk of contracting the virus, your doctor will likely recommend you go for regular HIV testing, which is done through a blood test. In Canada, HIV tests are typically available for free. Because the symptoms of HIV are so unspecific and can mimic a host of other illnesses, the only way to know your status for sure is to get tested.

Recommended Reading: Can Hiv Ever Go Away

Who Is At Risk For Hiv Infection

Anyone can get HIV, but certain groups have a higher risk of getting it:

• People who have another sexually transmitted disease . Having an STD can increase your risk of getting or spreading HIV.
• People who inject drugs with shared needles
• Gay and bisexual men, especially those who are Black/African American or Hispanic/Latino American
• People who engage in risky sexual behaviors, such as not using condoms

Aids Diagnosis Is More Complicated

AIDS is late stage HIV infection. Healthcare providers look for a few factors to determine if HIV latency has progressed to stage 3 HIV.

Because HIV destroys immune cells called CD4 cells, one way healthcare providers diagnose AIDS is to do a count of those cells. A person without HIV can have anywhere from 500 to 1,200 CD4 cells. When the cells have dropped to 200, a person with HIV is considered to have stage 3 HIV.

Another factor signaling that stage 3 HIV has developed is the presence of opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infections are diseases caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that would not make a person with an undamaged immune system sick.

You May Like: Where Is Hiv Aids Most Prevalent

Associated Types Of Cancer

A person with HIV may have a higher risk of various types of cancer, including lymphoma.

Kaposis sarcoma herpesvirus, also known as human herpesvirus 8, causes a type of cancer that involves the growth of abnormal blood vessels. These can develop anywhere in the body. The cancer is called Kaposis sarcoma, and if it reaches organs such as the intestines or lymph nodes, it can be extremely dangerous. On the skin, a doctor may recognize characteristic solid, purple or pink spots, which may be flat or raised.

In addition, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma have strong links to HIV infection. These affect the lymph nodes and lymphoid tissues.

Also, a female with HIV should recieve regular checks for cervical cancer. Receiving an early diagnosis can help limit the cancers spread.

Contaminated Body Piercing Or Tattoo Equipment

Although rare, it’s possible to be exposed to HIV in a piercing or tattoo establishment that reuses or does not sanitize needles, ink, and other supplies.

Before having any sort of body art procedure that involves needles or skin punctures, make sure the practitioner is licensed and follows strict sanitation guidelines.

You May Like: How Does The Immune System Fight Hiv

Are Women More Likely To Get Hiv

Yes. Biologically speaking, a woman is more vulnerable to heterosexual transmission of the disease because the genitalia are easily exposed to seminal fluids.

Gender inequality has great influence on the spread of HIV/AIDS among women. In some cultures, many women and girls are often put in situations where they engage in non-consensual sex or have sex for money.

In the U.S., minority communities have been hit the hardest by HIV. African American and Hispanic women together represent less than 25% of all U.S. women, yet they account for more than 78% of AIDS cases reported among women in the country.

Can Hiv/aids Be Prevented

You can reduce the risk of spreading HIV by

• Getting tested for HIV
• Choosing less risky sexual behaviors. This includes limiting the number of sexual partners you have and using latex condoms every time you have sex. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.
• Getting tested and treated for sexually transmitted diseases
• Not injecting drugs
• Talking to your health care provider about medicines to prevent HIV:
• PrEP is for people who don’t already have HIV but are at very high risk of getting it. PrEP is daily medicine that can reduce this risk.
• PEP is for people who have possibly been exposed to HIV. It is only for emergency situations. PEP must be started within 72 hours after a possible exposure to HIV.

NIH: National Institutes of Health

You May Like: Can You Live With Someone With Hiv

How Is Hiv Transmitted Or Spread

The following are the means by which the HIV virus is spread:

• Vertical transmission. HIV can be spread to babies born to, or breastfed by, mothers infected with the virus.

• Sexual contact. In adults and adolescents, HIV is spread most commonly by sexual contact with an infected partner. The virus enters the body through the lining of the vagina, vulva, penis, rectum, or abraded or irritated tissues in the lining of the mouth through sexual activity.

• Blood contamination. HIV may also be spread through contact with infected blood. However, due to the screening of donated blood for evidence of HIV infection, the risk of acquiring HIV from blood transfusions is extremely low.

• Needles. HIV is frequently spread by sharing needles, syringes, or drug use equipment with someone who is infected with the virus. Transmission from patient to health care worker, or vice-versa, through accidental sticks with contaminated needles or other medical instruments, is rare.

No known cases of HIV/AIDS have been spread by the following:

• Saliva

• Malaise

• Enlarged lymph nodes

An HIV-infected child is usually diagnosed with AIDS when the immune system becomes severely damaged or other types of infections occur. As the immune system deteriorates, complications begin to develop. The following are some common complications, or symptoms, of the onset of AIDS. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include: