Thursday, December 1, 2011

Stand unite for awareness about HIV/AIDS

What is HIV infection?

HIV/AIDS or human immunodefficiency virus the word itself is so frightening. Millions of individuals are affected and died due to this disease. There is no cure or vaccine has been invented so far and therefore prevention is the only option we all have. To prevent HIV infection one should be aware about the spreading methods of the infection. HIV /AIDS is one of the most dreadful and faster spreading sexually transmitted disease. This contagious disease has taken up millions of lives and hence prevention has become the prime importance. HIV infection is spreading at a tremendous speed because of the negligence about the disease, lack of knowledge about it and most important is the lack of awareness. In advances and developing countries spreading of the disease is slow yet need to be controlled fully. But in undeveloped countries HIV infection is spreading at a faster rate.


Preventing HIV infection

Prevention is better than cure and in the case of HIV/AIDS this is sent percent true. One can surely prevent this disease and can save his/her life. There are many ways by which HIV infection can be prevented. Generally the HIV virus lives in the infected person’s body fluids, blood, semen and vaginal fluids and from there it can enter in to the healthy person’s body.
• Sexual contact with the infected person is the most common reason for the increase in the HIV infected persons. Anal, vaginal or oral any kind of sexual activity leads to spread the HIV infection from the infected person to the healthy one.
• Using syringes or needles that are infected with HIV sufferer’s blood is also the prime cause of HIV infection.
• HIV infected mother can pass the infection to her baby during pregnancy, child birth or via breastfeeding. To prevent his doctor advised mother to start antiretroviral therapy. With the help of these medications baby’s life can be saved from HIV infection.

Tests for HIV infection

Early detection is the key to control the progression of HIV infection into AIDS. AIDS is the final step of the HIV infection. There are tests to determine the infection and antibody test is the accurate and inexpensive one. The ELISA anti body test is the most widely used test to determine HIV infection. Once this test comes positive certain confirmatory tests need to be done after the first test. These confirmatory tests include western blot assay test, indirect immunofluorescence assay, line immunoassay, a second ELISA. The combination of two tests gives most accurate diagnosis of HIV infection. The other tests are antigen test, fourth generation tests, PCR test, and home testing for HIV infection.

Things to know about HIV infection

There are some myths about HIV infection and these should be cleared out. Everyone can get affected by HIV infection. This disease is not specific to a community or a specific group of people. HIV infection can remain undetected for as long as 10 years. Thus if you are sexually active and having multiple partners the going for HIV testing every six months can easily detect the infection in the early stage. Prevention is very important. There is no cure to HIV infection but antiretroviral therapy with Indinavir is quite useful in preventing the replication of the HIV virus. You cannot get affected with shaking hand with the infected person or hugging him/her. Insect biting also not spread the infection. Though there are lots of misunderstandings about HIV infection and therefore awareness about the disease is very important.
Retroviral therapy for HIV infection
HIV infected person also get a healthy life with precautions and right treatment. Retroviral therapy medications and a positive attitude towards life incredibly control the symptoms. A nutritious diet helps to boost the immune system and thus lead to a healthy life even with HIV infection.

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