Learn The Facts About HIV and Aids

It is been more than 30 years since a disorder currently called AIDS was first recognized in America. It had been considered a death sentence. No treatments were accessible, its cause was not known, and individuals frequently died within several months. Individuals infected with HIV–the virus that creates AIDS–can live full, healthy lives, in huge part due to medications as well as other discoveries created using NIH support, now.

Because they are connected but distinct, the terms HIV and AIDS may be confusing. HIV is a virus that damages your own immune system by invading and ruining your disease-fighting white blood cells. Individuals with AIDS might get a variety of symptoms, because they are place by their weakened immune systems at risk for life threatening cancers and diseases.

Research within recent decades has identified preventative strategies that work: use condoms correctly, never share needles, and restrict your number of sexual partners and consistently. NIH can also be investigating new methods to prevent HIV diseases, including vaccines that are experimental.

“This strategy safeguards you from receiving infected with HIV should you take the medicine daily.”

A pill kind of PrEP (called Truvada) is accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for individuals at high risk of acquiring HIV. Truvada combines 2 antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV diseases.

Others, community health practice, yet your healthcare provider might offer you fast HIV tests, frequently at no cost.

Many people avoid getting tested because they are terrified of the probability of being HIV positive. Others may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed talking about sexual problems, and thus they do not get analyzed.

“The stigma associated with HIV infection causes it to be difficult for many individuals who are in danger to come forward and either be advised about the best way to prevent illness, or when they may be infected, to enter a health care system and remain in the medical care system,” Fauci says. But studies demonstrate that open communication will help individuals prevent and treat HIV.

HIV virus passes from one individual to another through body fluids that are specific, including semen and blood. Injection drug use and common needles is the 2nd most frequent course of disease. HIV also can spread from an infected mother. HIV is not spread through casual contact, such as hugging, shaking hands, sneezing, sharing utensils, or using toilets.

Now, by taking a mixture of HIV-fighting medications (called antiretroviral treatment), fewer Americans with HIV are growing AIDS. And some HIV diseases are now able to be prevented by taking daily drugs (called PrEP).

Due to the improvements, many people may believe there is little demand to fret about AIDS and HIV. But nothing might be farther from the reality. About 1 in 7 Americans who have HIV do not even realize they are infected, so they may be spreading the virus. The issue is indeed more acute in developing countries, particularly in areas of Africa.

That is why NIH-funded scientists continue to look for new, more powerful strategies to block HIV diseases.

Studies reveal that HIV amounts can get so low the virus becomes undetectable in the blood. That decreases the danger of spreading HIV and lengthens life.

Keeping HIV diseases in check taking day-to-day HIV drugs for life and requires early identification. Once a man’s been infected with HIV even when it is not detectable in the blood, it stays eternally concealed within the body. Although medications can keep virus levels low, they do not clear the viral reservoir out. HIV dashes back to the bloodstream and comes out of concealment.

For many people, keeping up with this particular daily health regimen could be challenging. Nationally, fewer than 1 in 3 individuals with HIV takes antiretroviral medications frequently enough to cut back the virus to undetectable amounts. That is why continuing NIH-funded studies assessing and are creating drugs which may be taken less frequently, like monthly. This strategy will undoubtedly be examined in a big clinical trial anticipated after this season to commence in Africa. Other strategies that do not depend on day-to-day anti-HIV drugs are also being analyzed.

“The blot difficulty can simply be solved one individual or one family at a time, because each individual’s position is exceptional,” Dieffenbach says. “It is about continuing a dialog with openness and recognition in communities. As tough as that’s, it does actually matter.”


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