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Though individuals are extra educated in regards to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) immediately, there are nonetheless misconceptions in regards to the virus. False assumptions can enhance the chance of an infection and the chances of transmitting the virus to another person. Listed here are some myth-busting solutions to probably the most generally requested questions on HIV.
1. Are HIV and AIDS the Identical Factor?
HIV and AIDs usually are not the identical factor. HIV is a virus, whereas AIDS is a stage of superior an infection. Particularly, HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, is an infectious virus that steadily breaks down an individual’s immune system, leaving the physique much less in a position to defend itself in opposition to viruses, micro organism, fungi, and parasites. These infections, that are known as “opportunistic,” are typically delicate within the early levels and might grow to be progressively worse as they deplete your immune system.
AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is the stage of the illness when the immune system is weakened by the lack of CD4 T cells (additionally known as helper T cells). These are white blood cells that assist fend off dangerous pathogens within the physique. With out these defenses, an individual can be at excessive danger for critical sicknesses {that a} wholesome individual would have the ability to battle off.
AIDS is recognized when an individual has a CD4 rely of lower than 200 (which means lower than 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood) or has not less than one in every of 27 AIDS-defining circumstances outlined by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), comparable to recurrent pneumonia and a few lymphomas.
2. Can HIV Reside Exterior the Physique?
HIV doesn’t stay exterior the physique for very lengthy. In contrast with different forms of viruses, comparable to flu or chickenpox, HIV is comparatively fragile: It doesn’t thrive at room temperature (68 levels F), when uncovered to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the solar, or at pH ranges which might be dissimilar to that of blood.
Even when a small quantity of virus does handle to outlive for a brief time period, the chances that it’s going to infect you’re subsequent to zero. There have been no confirmed circumstances of HIV attributable to a blood-tainted needle in a public place up to now. Even in a healthcare setting, the chance of an infection from a needlestick damage is lower than 1 p.c, per the CDC.
3. Which Actions Are Most Prone to Transmit HIV?
The three primary routes of HIV an infection in america are anal intercourse, vaginal intercourse, and shared needles. Of those, unprotected anal intercourse poses the very best danger. Right here is the estimated likelihood of buying HIV from an contaminated supply, by means of drug use and completely different intercourse acts, in line with the CDC:
- Receptive anal intercourse: 1 in 72
- Shared injection drug use: 1 in 160
- Insertive anal intercourse: 1 in 909
- Receptive penile-vaginal intercourse: 1 in 1,250
- Insertive penile-vaginal intercourse: 1 in 2,500
The extra you have interaction in these actions, the extra doubtless you’re to contract the virus, though it’s nonetheless potential to get contaminated after a single publicity.
When you’re fearful about your danger of contracting HIV, discuss to your healthcare supplier about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a extremely efficient oral or injectable remedy for HIV prevention. Based on the CDC, it could actually scale back the chance of HIV an infection by means of intercourse by 99 p.c when taken accurately.
RELATED: 7 Issues You Can Do to Shield Towards HIV
4. Can You Get HIV From Oral Intercourse?
Whereas there’s a potential danger of getting HIV from oral intercourse, the documented danger stays extraordinarily low. The CDC says that the chance is difficult to quantify, as a result of lots of people who’ve oral intercourse have anal or vaginal intercourse, too.
Nonetheless, there are specific elements which will enhance the potential for an infection. These embody coexisting sexually transmitted ailments (STDs) and bleeding gums. Even then, it’s unlikely that an individual can be contaminated by having oral intercourse. Utilizing a condom or dental dam can additional scale back the already low danger, as can taking drugs to stop or deal with HIV.
5. How Frequent Are False Negatives and False Positives?
Because of using next-generation applied sciences, the accuracy of HIV testing in healthcare settings has by no means been higher. Nonetheless, false positives and false negatives have been recognized to happen, albeit sometimes.
At this time, the false destructive fee for antibody-only assessments is just round 0.3 p.c (or roughly 3 out of each 1,000 assessments), in line with i-BASE. False optimistic charges are even decrease — between 0.0004 p.c and 0.0007 p.c, in line with StatPearls — due largely to the observe of confirming a optimistic outcome with a secondary check.
If a false destructive does happen, it’s typically the results of untimely testing through the so-called window interval. That is the time period following an infection when the physique has not but produced sufficient protecting proteins (known as antibodies) to register an correct outcome. If this occurs, an individual could consider that they haven’t been contaminated.
Newer antigen/antibody lab assessments have considerably decreased this window interval, in line with the CDC. Nevertheless, you continue to want to attend about three to 5 weeks after being uncovered to the virus to get a dependable outcome.
That stated, if you happen to assume you’ve been uncovered to HIV within the final 72 hours, the CDC says to contact a well being supplier, hospital, or pressing care heart straight away about getting post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
6. How Correct Are In-House HIV Checks?
At the moment there is just one in-home HIV check out there in america, OraQuick, promoted as a way to make sure privateness for individuals who would possibly in any other case keep away from getting examined. It’s simple to make use of, requiring solely a easy saliva swab, and might return a end in as little as 20 minutes.
As a result of antibody ranges in saliva are decrease than they’re in blood, this check can fall brief in its potential to detect an infection. Based on the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA), 1 in 12 OraQuick assessments will ship a false destructive, which means that roughly 1 out of each 12 assessments will ship an incorrect all-clear signal.
7. Can a Pap Smear Detect HIV?
A Pap smear is effective for a lot of issues, however HIV detection isn’t one in every of them. The goal of a Pap smear is to determine cell modifications which will point out cervical most cancers, to not verify for the presence of HIV, which might be recognized solely with a blood- or saliva-based HIV check.
That stated, Pap smears are particularly necessary for girls who’ve HIV; these girls are not less than 5 occasions extra prone to develop invasive cervical most cancers than girls who don’t have HIV. The check may also be used to display screen for anal most cancers and the human papillomavirus (HPV).
8. How Lengthy Does It Take for HIV Signs to Seem?
As much as 80 p.c of newly contaminated individuals expertise signs through the early (acute) stage of HIV an infection. These typically develop inside two to 4 weeks of publicity and resemble signs of the flu, comparable to fever, sore throat, physique rash, headache, and muscle and joint ache, in line with the Nationwide Well being Service (NHS).
One of many extra telling indicators of acute an infection is lymphadenopathy, the typically painful swelling of the lymph nodes, particularly on the neck, behind the ears, underneath the armpits, and within the higher groin. Whereas flu-like signs can final wherever from just a few days to a number of weeks, lymphadenopathy can persist for months and even years and will enhance solely after the beginning of HIV remedy.
After the acute stage of HIV an infection, signs could not reappear for a number of years, however the virus continues to be lively and inflicting injury if left untreated, per the NHS. That’s the reason it’s necessary to see a healthcare supplier as quickly as potential if you happen to suspect you may have HIV.
9. Do HIV Signs Differ in Girls and Males?
The HIV signs in women and men don’t differ very a lot. Nevertheless, girls with HIV might be inclined to different infections which will trigger signs within the genital tract, together with bacterial vaginosis and candidiasis, a typical fungal an infection that may manifest as a vaginal yeast an infection. (Oral thrush, a fungal an infection, can seem in each men and women.)
Girls with HIV even have an elevated danger for recurrent and hard-to-treat pelvic inflammatory illness (PID) and might expertise irregular intervals, cramping, and strange discharge.
Within the later levels of HIV, girls who even have HPV usually tend to have an elevated danger of cervical most cancers; homosexual and bisexual males with HPV usually tend to develop anal most cancers.
However past these variations, the illness varies extra by the person than by intercourse. Different elements, like genetics, age, remedy historical past, and life-style habits comparable to smoking, weight loss program, and train additionally play a task.
10. How Lengthy Can I Wait Earlier than Beginning Therapy?
Ideally, you shouldn’t wait to begin remedy. Up to now, medical doctors would delay remedy till an individual’s CD4 rely fell beneath 500 — largely due to issues in regards to the long-term results of HIV remedy and the untimely growth of a drug-resistant virus — however that’s now not the case.
“At this time, issues are completely different,” says Linda-Gail Bekker, PhD, an infectious illness specialist and deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre on the College of Cape City in South Africa. “Newer-generation medication have overcome many of those issues. Furthermore, if [treated] correctly, an individual with HIV can now count on to get pleasure from near-normal life expectancy.”
The main target, subsequently, is now not simply on life extension; it’s on preserving high quality of life. Analysis funded by the Nationwide Institutes of Well being confirmed that early HIV remedy (began at CD4 counts above 500) decreased the chance of great sickness by 53 p.c in contrast with delayed remedy.
That’s the reason the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers now recommends that HIV remedy start on the time of prognosis.
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