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| Men's Health>>HIV
/ AIDS |
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What are HIV and AIDS?
Over the last fifteen years a new disease spread
by a family of viruses, HIV, has spread globally.
HIV stands for Human lmmuno-deficiency Virus.
 HIV
has been given this name because its long-term
effect is to attack the immune system of the body,
making it weak and deficient. We live virtually in
a sea of microorganisms and at every moment an
enormous number of them are entering our body. It
is the immune system that normally fights off
these microorganisms and keeps us healthy. Any
compromise with the working of the immune system
has profound effect on our body.
After about 5 to 10 years of contracting the HIV
infection, the virus has weakened the immune
system of the patients so much that they develop a
number of different illnesses such as
tuberculosis, pneumonia, persistent diarrhea,
fever and skin infections. This condition is
called AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
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Why do you need to know about it?
At the moment it is estimated that 13 million people
in the world may have HIV. Every day there are
thousands of new cases of HIV infections in the
world and these occur in every country. People who
have HIV may have no symptoms for many years, and
infected people may not even be aware that they have
the virus. They look and feel well, but can infect
other people during this time.
The most difficult aspect of HIV/AIDS is that though
there are medicines, which can help them, cope with
these illnesses, there is no vaccine, and no cure
for the HIV, so almost all the infected people
become more and more ill and eventually die. It is
important that we all know and understand about this
infection, so we can protect ourselves and our
families.
We have responsibility not only towards ourselves
but also towards our children who are growing up in
a very different world from that of our childhood.
They will have many new opportunities, but also may
sometimes be faced with new relationships, standards
of behavior and new risks. It is up to us to explain
the truth of the situation to them in an honest and
informed way, so they may have the knowledge to take
the necessary steps to protect their health.
We have to understand that presently prevention is
the only cure of HIV/AIDS and that can come about
only if we are adequately informed about it.
Following are some frequently asked questions about
HIV/AIDS: |
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How does HIV
affect the body? Is it the same as AIDS?
When HIV gets into a persons blood it attaches
itself to a special type of white blood cells called
as helper T-Lymphocytes. These Helper T- cells are
crucial in defending the body against many
infections. during all this the persons have no
symptoms at all. They look and feel well. They may
not know they now have the virus, but could pass it
on to someone else through having sex, or by sharing
needles or syringes. |
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Being
HIV Positive is not the same as having AIDS. The HIV
actually goes inside the white blood cells and lies
their quietly. After about 5 to 10 years the HIV
virus tricks the cell
to start making the viral proteins, this results in
the formation of a huge number of viral particles
inside the white cells and eventually the cells
burst releasing thousands of new viruses in the
blood. The released viruses infecting new white
cells This cycle goes on and on, and eventually the
immune system of the body is overwhelmed and is no
longer capable of fighting the infections.
Eventually the infected person may lose weight and
become ill with diseases like persistent severe
diarrhea, fever, or pneumonia, or skin cancer. He or
she has now developed AIDS. People with AIDS can be
helped with medicines for the different infections.
At the moment though, in spite of much research,
there is no cure for HIV or for AIDS and so, sadly,
it is almost certain that people diagnosed with AIDS
will die. |
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Suggested
Reading -
Condom - How to use it. |
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Sexual abstinence is
the only sure way to prevent pregnancy and sexually
transmitted disease, including AIDS. If you do
decide to have sex, correct use of a condom will
help you to protect yourself and your partner
against these risks. This guide tells you how to use
a condom for maximum protection. |
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Pregnancy, Birth
and HIV - HIV infection is increasing most rapidly
in women and it could be passed from the mother to
the baby. |
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Disclaimer - The contents of this site are
for informational purposes only. Always seek the
advice of a qualified physician for any doubts. |
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