HIV & AIDS

HIV is short of Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

AIDS is short for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV disease.

In 2004 approximately 42,000 people were diagnosed with AIDS.

By the end of 2003 there were an estimated 1,039,000 to 1,185,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States.

Transmission

HIV is transmitted through  blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk.

The most common ways HIV is transmitted are:

• Having unprotected sexual intercourse
• Sharing needles or syringes with someone who has the virus
• Being deeply punctured with a needle or surgical instrument contaminated with the virus
• Getting HIV-infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions into open wounds or sores
• HIV can also be passed from a woman to her fetus during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding

HIV is NOT transmitted from simple casual contact such as:

•  kissing or hugging someone with HIV 
• sharing drinking glasses or the toilet,
• mosquito bytes

Signs/Symptoms

The only way to know if  a person lives with HIV  is doing a blood test that detects the presence of  HIV.

It's important to mention that many people with HIV do not have any symptoms for many years. That's why it's not posible to know at simple sight if a person lives or not with HIV. Only with the blood test.

The following may be the most frequent, but are not exclusive signs of HIV:

• Dry cough
• Swollen lymph nodes in the armpits, groin, or neck
• A thick, whitish coating of the tongue or mouth (thrush) that is caused by a yeast infection and sometimes accompanied by a sore throat
• Severe or recurring vaginal yeast infections
• Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease or severe and frequent infections like herpes zoster
• Periods of extreme and unexplained fatigue that may be combined with headaches, lightheadedness, and/or dizziness
• Rapid loss of more than 10 pounds of weight that is not due to increased physical exercise or dieting
• Bruising more easily than normal
• Long-lasting bouts of diarrhea
• Recurring fevers and/or night sweats
• Swelling or hardening of glands located in the throat, armpit, or groin
• Periods of continued, deep, dry coughing
• Increasing shortness of breath
• The appearance of discolored or purplish growths on the skin or inside the mouth
• Unexplained bleeding from growths on the skin, from mucous membranes, or from any opening in the body
• Recurring or unusual skin rashes
• Severe numbness or pain in the hands or feet, the loss of muscle control and reflex, paralysis, or loss of muscular strength
• An altered state of consciousness, personality change, or mental deterioration

Treatment

There are a variety of drugs available to treat people with HIV or in AIDS stage. But, there is no cure. Prevention is the main strategy to keep ourselves healthy.  

 Treatments are known as "cocktails". They  diminish the appearance of HIV related diseases and extends the quality of life of users.

Prevention

• The surest way is to abstain from sexual intercourse and from sharing needles and "works" if you use steroids, hormones, or other drugs
• Do not share personal items that have been soiled with blood such as toothbrushes, razors, needles for piercing or tattooing, and blades for cutting or scarring