HIV continues to be a problem throughout the years despite the advances of modern medicine. Scientists believed that “the virus came from a specie of chimpanzees found in Africa, which passed on the virus to humans when they were hunted for food” (AIDS.gov, 2016). This epidemic has claimed the lives of many all over the world. While presently there exists no cure, there are medications that treats this disease. A healthy lifestyle combined with treatment can prolong the lives of people living with HIV. Despite the challenges, the healthcare system has been able to continue to have a positive impact on the population. Through extensive and ongoing education many lives can be saved and people will be able to live longer.
Since the discovery of HIV there has been tremendous strides in education as well as medicine. Scientist have made advances in researching the disease and medicine to the treat the virus. Despite this, there are people who do not know enough or understand the facts about this disease. It remains a taboo and there are many myths and people continue to live in fear. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. This virus affects humans by “destroying the immune system specifically the T4 cells” (AIDS.gov, 2016). The virus is transmitted via a communicable disease chain. “Humans act as a reservoir for the virus. Transmission is made possible when there is the exchange of body fluids from an HIV infected person (reservoir) to another person (susceptible host)” (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Some of the ways there can be contact with body fluids is through having unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing or getting stuck from a needle used by an HIV infected host, breastfeeding, anal sex and in some cases oral sex. While some of the mentioned ways involved minimal risk, transmission is still a possibility. There are no definitive signs and symptoms associated with an HIV infection. …show more content…
However, it believed that some people may experience “fever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes” (AIDS.gov, 2015). Therefore, it is advised that testing must be done in order to determine if a person has HIV. Of course, there is a window period for this infection. In the early stages, it is possible that testing may produce a false negative although the virus is present, but in low levels. For example, in some hospitals if healthcare personnel receive a needle stick injury they are tested immediately, once again in six months and again by one year. Unfortunately, without treatment HIV infected persons will deteriorate in a short time without treatment. Some HIV infected patients will ultimately develop AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and this is determined “when their CD4 cells falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (200 cells/mm3) or they develop one or more opportunistic infections” (AIDS.gov, 2016). This was the reality of many patients in the past who lost the battle to AIDS. The progression of HIV to AIDS can be averted through the use of antiretroviral (ARV) medications. The main ones are “TDF (tenofovir), either 3TC (lamivudine) or FTC (emtricitabine) and EFV (efavirenz)” these are ARV drugs that have been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). In order to treat the disease, they can be combined in different ways (Avert, 2016). The medicines help to keep the virus level (viral load) low in the body. Low viral load will allow the immune system the ability to ward off opportunistic infections. Of interest, it is believed that the incidence of HIV is …show more content…
Additionally, these issues are present in the low socioeconomic communities where there are drug addicts, prostitution, overcrowding and other risky behaviours which fosters the spread of HIV infection.
Of course, the spread of HIV is similar to all communicable diseases. There is the “environment, the presence of the biologic causative agent (HIV) and the person (host)” (Maurer & Smith, 2012). The agent is transmitted to the susceptible host (human). The environment is not a factor in this particular transmission, as the virus cannot survive for long periods outside the human body. This does not mean that transmission is impossible; for drug users who share needles the agent is in blood in the needle and can be transmitted to the susceptible host when they inject
Since the discovery of HIV there has been tremendous strides in education as well as medicine. Scientist have made advances in researching the disease and medicine to the treat the virus. Despite this, there are people who do not know enough or understand the facts about this disease. It remains a taboo and there are many myths and people continue to live in fear. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. This virus affects humans by “destroying the immune system specifically the T4 cells” (AIDS.gov, 2016). The virus is transmitted via a communicable disease chain. “Humans act as a reservoir for the virus. Transmission is made possible when there is the exchange of body fluids from an HIV infected person (reservoir) to another person (susceptible host)” (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Some of the ways there can be contact with body fluids is through having unprotected sexual intercourse, sharing or getting stuck from a needle used by an HIV infected host, breastfeeding, anal sex and in some cases oral sex. While some of the mentioned ways involved minimal risk, transmission is still a possibility. There are no definitive signs and symptoms associated with an HIV infection. …show more content…
However, it believed that some people may experience “fever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes” (AIDS.gov, 2015). Therefore, it is advised that testing must be done in order to determine if a person has HIV. Of course, there is a window period for this infection. In the early stages, it is possible that testing may produce a false negative although the virus is present, but in low levels. For example, in some hospitals if healthcare personnel receive a needle stick injury they are tested immediately, once again in six months and again by one year. Unfortunately, without treatment HIV infected persons will deteriorate in a short time without treatment. Some HIV infected patients will ultimately develop AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and this is determined “when their CD4 cells falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (200 cells/mm3) or they develop one or more opportunistic infections” (AIDS.gov, 2016). This was the reality of many patients in the past who lost the battle to AIDS. The progression of HIV to AIDS can be averted through the use of antiretroviral (ARV) medications. The main ones are “TDF (tenofovir), either 3TC (lamivudine) or FTC (emtricitabine) and EFV (efavirenz)” these are ARV drugs that have been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). In order to treat the disease, they can be combined in different ways (Avert, 2016). The medicines help to keep the virus level (viral load) low in the body. Low viral load will allow the immune system the ability to ward off opportunistic infections. Of interest, it is believed that the incidence of HIV is …show more content…
Additionally, these issues are present in the low socioeconomic communities where there are drug addicts, prostitution, overcrowding and other risky behaviours which fosters the spread of HIV infection.
Of course, the spread of HIV is similar to all communicable diseases. There is the “environment, the presence of the biologic causative agent (HIV) and the person (host)” (Maurer & Smith, 2012). The agent is transmitted to the susceptible host (human). The environment is not a factor in this particular transmission, as the virus cannot survive for long periods outside the human body. This does not mean that transmission is impossible; for drug users who share needles the agent is in blood in the needle and can be transmitted to the susceptible host when they inject