MESSAGE TO YOUNG PEOPLE: HIV/AIDS IS REAL, BE CAREFUL !!!!'
(By Dennis Kandie)
It is increasingly clear that we come from a conservative society where we fail to state facts as it is, or tell young people to take caution and understand that AIDS is real.
Kandie Institute of Political Science takes a comprehensive approach in informing young people about HIV, its status, protection and care and all that computes to understanding HIV.
KIPS believes in informing young people and those interested wholeheartedly for we believe information is power.
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Following initial infection, a person may not notice any symptoms or may experience a brief period of influenza-like illness.
Typically, this is followed by a prolonged period with no symptoms.
As the infection progresses, it interferes more with the immune system, increasing the risk of developing common infections like tuberculosis, as well as other opportunistic infections, and tumors that rarely affect people who have working immune systems.
These late symptoms of infection are referred to as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
This stage is often also associated with unintended weight loss.
*METHODS OF ACQUIRING HIV/AIDS*
HIV is spread primarily by unprotected sex (including vaginal, anal and oral sex),
contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles,
from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.
*Note that* Some bodily fluids, such as saliva and tears, do not transmit HIV.
*METHODS OF PREVENTION*
safe sex- ensure every time you engage in sex with a partner who is not infected with the virus.
Ensure you abstain as an ideal method of not contracting, but if you are tempted use protection particularly Condoms which are of high quality.
When you get a new sexual partner ensure you take tests many times before you have unprotected sex.
Don't engage in needle exchange programs ESP on treating those who are infected
During massive male circumcision, ensure that it is done with maximum hygiene, quality medical procedures and the knives should actually be sterilized and should be one knife for one person.
Disease in a baby can often be prevented by giving both the mother and child antiretroviral medication.
There is no cure or vaccine; however, antiretroviral treatment can slow the course of the disease and may lead to a near-normal life expectancy.
Treatment is recommended as soon as the diagnosis is made.
Without treatment, the average survival time after infection is 11 years.
Consistent condom use reduces the risk of HIV transmission by approximately 80% over the long term.
When condoms are used consistently by a couple in which one person is infected, the rate of HIV infection is less than 1% per year.
There is some evidence to suggest that female condoms may provide an equivalent level of protection.
Application of a vaginal gel containing tenofovir (a reverse transcriptase inhibitor) immediately before sex seems to reduce infection rates by approximately 40% among African women.
By contrast, use of the spermicide nonoxynol-9 may increase the risk of transmission due to its tendency to cause vaginal and rectal irritation.
*Pre-exposure*
Antiretroviral treatment among people with HIV whose CD4 count ≤ 550 cells/µL is a very effective way to prevent HIV infection of their partner (a strategy known as treatment as prevention, or TASP).
TASP is associated with a 10 to 20 fold reduction in transmission risk.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with a daily dose of the medications tenofovir, with or without emtricitabine, is effective in a number of groups including men who have sex with men, couples where one is HIV positive, and young heterosexuals in Africa.
It may also be effective in intravenous drug users with a study finding a decrease in risk of 0.7 to 0.4 per 100 person years.
Universal precautions within the health care environment are believed to be effective in decreasing the risk of HIV.
Intravenous drug use is an important risk factor and harm reduction strategies such as needle-exchange programs and opioid substitution therapy appear effective in decreasing this risk.
*Post-exposure*
A course of antiretrovirals administered within 48 to 72 hours after exposure to HIV-positive blood or genital secretions is referred to as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
The use of the single agent zidovudine reduces the risk of a HIV infection five-fold following a needle-stick injury.
As of 2013, the prevention regimen recommended in the United States consists of three medications—tenofovir, emtricitabine and raltegravir—as this may reduce the risk further.
PEP treatment is recommended after a sexual assault when the perpetrator is known to be HIV positive, but is controversial when their HIV status is unknown.
The duration of treatment is usually four weeks and is frequently associated with adverse effects—where zidovudine is used, *about 70% of cases result in adverse effects such as nausea (24%), fatigue (22%), emotional distress (13%) and headaches (9%).*
*Mother-to-child*
HIV and pregnancy Programs to prevent the vertical transmission of HIV (from mothers to children) can reduce rates of transmission by 92–99%.
This primarily involves the use of a combination of antiviral medications during pregnancy and after birth in the infant and potentially includes bottle feeding rather than breastfeeding.
If replacement feeding is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable, and safe, mothers should avoid breastfeeding their infants; however exclusive breastfeeding is recommended during the first months of life if this is not the case.
If exclusive breastfeeding is carried out, the provision of extended antiretroviral prophylaxis to the infant decreases the risk of transmission.
In 2015, Cuba became the first country in the world to eradicate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
*HIV vaccine*
Currently, there is no licensed vaccine for HIV or AIDS.
The most effective vaccine trial to date, RV 144, was published in 2009 and found a partial reduction in the risk of transmission of roughly 30%, stimulating some hope in the research community of developing a truly effective vaccine.
Further trials of the RV 144 vaccine are ongoing.
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