Where To Get Tested For Hiv
Getting an HIV test is easy. Tests for HIV and other STIs are confidential and available from your local doctor , or a sexual and reproductive health clinic.
It is a good idea to have some pre-test counselling. Before the test, talk with your doctor, nurse, or peer tester about any concerns, your level of risk, whether you are likely to be HIV-positive and what a positive result may mean.
People Living With Hiv
San Francisco has one of the largest populations of people living with HIV in the United States with an estimated 15,811 people living with HIV .
Of the total number of San Franciscans living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2020, 8,950 were living with HIV ever classified as AIDS. AIDS is a late-stage HIV disease defined by a low count of CD4 cells or an opportunistic infection .
As of December 2020, 71% of people living with HIV in San Francisco were over age 50 .
Hiv Transmission In Australia
In Australia, HIV is commonly transmitted through:
- Unprotected anal or vaginal sex .
- Sharing any needles, syringes, or other injecting equipment.
- From mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding This can occur when the mother doesnt know she is HIV-positive, or is not on effective treatment.
- Tattooing or other procedures that involve unsterile or reused equipment.
- Needle stick injuries.
HIV is not transmitted by:
- kissing, hugging, massaging, mutual masturbation and other body contact
- social interaction
- sharing food, dishes, utensils, drinking glasses
- air, breath, or being coughed or sneezed on
- mosquito, insect or animal bites
- use of communal facilities .
It is perfectly safe to consume food and drinks prepared by someone who is HIV-positive even if theyre not receiving treatment.
People with HIV who are on treatment and achieve and maintain an undetectable HIV viral load cannot transmit HIV sexually.
Recommended Reading: How Long Can Hiv Lay Dormant
Men Who Have Sex With Men
Gay or bisexual MSM are the most severely affected population. MSM account for just a small fraction of the total U.S. population, yet nearly two-thirds of all new infections occurred within this group in 2009, and one-half of all people living with HIV in 2008 were MSM. MSM within ethnic minority populations are at greatest risk .
Summary Result Of Univariate Analysis
A total of 14,779 participants were included in the final analysis. The result of the univariate analysis are presented in Table a slight majority were females . The highest formal education for the majority was primary education . The majority were currently married and were rural residents . The prevalence of HIV was 9.0% among the participants. The details of the socio-demographic characteristic of respondents are presented in Table .
Don’t Miss: Does Cookie Johnson Have Hiv
Widespread Differences In Hiv Prevalence
HIV prevalence varied substantially at the grid-cell level as well as among first and second administrative subdivisions throughout sub-Saharan Africa . This variation was apparent within countries with a relatively high overall HIV prevalence for example, in Botswana ) prevalence among districts ranged from 15.1% in Ghanzi district to 27.7% in North-East district in 2017. This variation was also apparent in countries with a more moderate national HIV prevalence for example, in Tanzania ), prevalence among regions ranged from 0.4% in Kusini Pemba region to 9.1% in Njombe region in 2017. In countries in which levels of HIV prevalence are lower overall, the absolute differences among subnational units were necessarily smaller. However, in many instances, relative differences among subnational units remained largefor example, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in which national prevalence was 0.7% , prevalence among second-level administrative subdivisions ranged from 0.3% in Lukaya district to 1.4% in the city Likasi in 2017. Most countries had a more than twofold difference in prevalence between the second-level administrative subdivisions with the lowest and highest estimated prevalence in 2017, and the largest difference was more than fivefold in 14 out of 47 countries.
Fig. 1: Prevalence of HIV in adults aged 1549 in 2017.
Countries With The Highest Rates Of Hiv/aids
Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a virus that weakens the human immune system, sometimes leading to AIDS. If detected early, HIV can be managed to prevent it from progressing to the final stage of AIDS. HIV attacks CD4 cells exposing the infected person to opportunistic infections. Proper diagnosis, treatment, and medical care are essential factors to effective management and control of AIDS which has no permanent cure. While HIV is majorly a sexually transmitted disease, the virus can be transmitted through blood transfusion and during birth or breastfeeding, as well as through a few other means.
You May Like: Can You Get Hiv From Dried Blood
The Global Distribution Of Deaths From Hiv/aids
In some countries HIV/AIDS is the cause of more than a quarter of all deaths
Globally, 1.7% of deaths were caused by HIV/AIDS in 2017.
This share is high, but masks the wide variations in the toll of HIV/AIDS across the world. In some countries, this share was much higher.In the interactive map we see the share of deaths which resulted from HIV/AIDS across the world. Across most regions the share was low: across Europe, for example, it accounted for less than 0.1% of deaths.
But across some countries focused primarily in Southern Sub-Saharan Africa the share is very high. More than 1-in-4 of deaths in South Africa and Botswana were caused by HIV/AIDS in 2017. The share was also very high across Mozambique Namibia Zambia Kenya and Congo .
Death rates are high across Sub-Saharan Africa
The large health burden of HIV/AIDS across Sub-Saharan Africa is also reflected in death rates. Death rates measure the number of deaths from HIV/AIDS per 100,000 individuals in a country or region.
In the interactive map we see the distribution of death rates across the world. Most countries have a rate of less than 10 deaths per 100,000 often much lower, below 5 per 100,000. Across Europe the death rate is less than one per 100,000.
Across Sub-Saharan Africa the rates are much higher. Most countries in the South of the region had rates greater than 100 per 100,000. In South Africa and Mozambique, it was over 200 per 100,000.
References And Recommended Reading
Papers of particular interest, published within the annual period of review, have been highlighted as:
â¢âª of special interest
â¢âªâª of outstanding interest
You May Like: Hiv 1 2 Antibodies
Prevalence And New Infections
Where Is It Widespread
HIV is spread throught the world, but Sub-Saharan Africa has the greatest number of people who are infected. The World Health Organization and the United Nations’ UNAIDS office estimate that more than a third of adults are infected with HIV in some areas of Africa. There are many case of HIV in South and Southeastern Asia. The numbers of people who have HIV in Eastern Europe are growing because of injection drug use.
There are two main types of the virus: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-2 is most commonly found in West Africa, although places in other parts of the world are seeing it, too. HIV tests usually look for both kinds.
Read Also: How Long Can Aids Go Undetected
Spatial Interpolation Of Hiv/aids Epidemic At A Scale Lower Than The Region
The second objective of this paper is to understand the HIV epidemic and inform programs and interventions at a lower geographical level. The 2016 Malawi DHS HIV testing data has information on HIV prevalence for 850 clusters. Each cluster had geolocation data , making it possible to determine the spatial variations of the HIV epidemic at the cluster level. We used the prevR package in the R freeware for statistical analysis . This package was programmed to perform spatial estimation of regional trends of a prevalence using data from surveys with a stratified two-stage sample design . Using functions available in the prevR package, we applied the gaussian kernel estimator approach with adaptive bandwidths of equal number of persons surveyed to generate a surface of HIV prevalence . The main surface is a weighted estimate of HIV prevalence surface with parameter N=368, a value chosen using the Noptim function in the prevR package . The N is a function of the observed national prevalence, the number of persons tested and the number of clusters surveys, which are the three parameters used to simulate a DHS dataset . The foreign package in R was used to read the data in R, and maptools and ggplot2 packages were used to display the Malawi HIV epidemic map. All these analyses were performed in R version 3.5.3 .
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:
Recommended Reading: How Many People Have Hiv In Atlanta
Hiv Stigma And Discrimination
HIV can prompt intense feelings in people, regardless of their HIV status. It is sometimes viewed with a sense of unacceptability or disgrace. A person with HIV may feel shame and despair about their status. An HIV-negative person may be fearful or angry when they discover someone has HIV. The relationship of these feelings to HIV is referred to as stigma.Felt stigma refers to deep feelings of shame and self-loathing, and the expectation of discrimination. It can have serious negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV by discouraging them from getting tested, receiving support, or taking treatment. It may also lead people to engage in high-risk behaviours that harm their health, and contribute to new HIV infections.Enacted stigma is the experience of unfair treatment by others. For people living with HIV this can be in the form of being treated differently and poorly, or through rejection, abuse, or discrimination.HIV stigma is particularly harmful when it overlaps with other factors that are stigmatised such as if a person uses drugs, is a sex worker, is trans or gender diverse.Breaking down stigma is a community response where:
If you have experienced stigma or discrimination from a health care provider, and are unable to resolve your complaint with them directly, contact the Health Complaints Commissioner
A Note About Treatment
While theres currently no cure for HIV, treatments have come an incredibly long way since the virus was first identified. Due to advances in treatment, people living with HIV can have long, healthy lives.
There are now many types of antiretroviral drugs available to treat HIV. According to the National Institutes of Health , taking antiretroviral medications each day as directed can reduce viral load to undetectable levels in 6 months or less .
Not only can having an undetectable viral load keep the immune system healthy, but it can also prevent transmission of HIV to others. People with an undetectable viral load have no risk of transmitting HIV to their partners via sex.
Read Also: Can You Get Hiv From Dried Blood
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.
Hiv/aids Is One Of The Worlds Most Fatal Infectious Disease
Almost 1 million people die from HIV/AIDS each year in some countries its the leading cause of death
HIV/AIDS is one of the worlds most fatal infectious diseases particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease has had a massive impact on health outcomes and life expectancy in recent decades.
The Global Burden of Disease is a major global study on the causes of death and disease published in the medical journal The Lancet.1 These estimates of the annual number of deaths by cause are shown here. This chart is shown for the global total, but can be explored for any country or region using the change country toggle.
In the chart we see that, globally, it is the second most fatal infectious disease.
According to the Global Burden of Disease study, almost one million people died from HIV/AIDS in 2017. To put this into context: this was just over 50% higher than the number of deaths from malaria in 2017.
Its one of the largest killers globally but for some countries particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa, its the leading cause of death. If we look at the breakdown for South Africa, Botswana or Mozambique which you can do on the interactive chart we see that HIV/AIDS tops the list. For countries in Southern Sub-Saharan Africa, deaths from HIV/AIDS are more than 50% higher than deaths from heart disease, and more than twice that of cancer deaths.
Also Check: Can You Get Hiv From Dried Blood
Donor Testing And Significance
In Germany, both HIV antibody and HIV NAT testing are mandatory.
2.3.1 HIV Antibody Testing
Initial testing of a donation is carried out with antibody screening test systems approved in Europe according to the German Medicinal Products Act in connection with the In Vitro Diagnostics Directive . Tests used in Germany recognise antibodies to all known HIV-1 groups and HIV-2. Reactive screening test results must be followed by a serologic confirmation test or a NAT assay. An additional second blood sample has to be investigated for confirmation of an HIV infection . Until the results are clarified, the donation is separated and should be preserved for additional investigations. The donor is deferred until the final results are available . According to current knowledge, the vast majority of reactive HIV antibody screening test results of blood donors are non-specific, i.e. false-positive, and have other causes, e.g., immune complexes in the specimen .
2.3.2 Detecting HIV RNA by NAT
The diagnostic window period, which is between 3 and 6 weeks for antibody screening tests, can be shortened by application of NAT. Depending on the level of viraemia, the sensitivity of the assay used and the infecting HIV, an infection can be detected as early as about 11 days post infection . The HIV NAT enables sensitive detection also of non-HIV-1 M:B. Reference materials for the detection of different HIV-1 genotypes are available .
Cost-Benefit Calculation
Hiv Is Detected With A Blood Test
Blood tests are the most common and reliable tests for HIV. The virus is detected by taking a sample of your blood either with a conventional blood test or a rapid test .There is a short period of time between exposure to HIV and the ability for tests to detect HIV or its antibodies. This is often referred to as the ‘window period’ between 2 and 12 weeks.
Most tests used in Australia can detect HIV as early as 2 to 4 weeks after infection.
If your blood test shows that HIV or its antibodies are present, you are HIV-positive.
If you have no antibodies in your blood you are HIV-negative. Sometimes negative results might also mean you are in the window period, so you might need a follow-up blood test to make sure.
Read Also: Walgreens At Home Hiv Test
Treatment Options For Hiv
Treatment should begin as soon as possible after a diagnosis of HIV, regardless of viral load.
The main treatment for HIV is antiretroviral therapy, a combination of daily medications that stop the virus from reproducing. This helps protect CD4 cells, keeping the immune system strong enough to take measures against disease.
Antiretroviral therapy helps keep HIV from progressing to AIDS. It also helps reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others.
When treatment is effective, the viral load will be undetectable. The person still has HIV, but the virus is not visible in test results.
However, the virus is still in the body. And if that person stops taking antiretroviral therapy, the viral load will increase again, and the HIV can again start attacking CD4 cells.