HIV Transmission, Threat Elements, and Prevention

Sun Care

HIV Transmission, Threat Elements, and Prevention

Admin

February 12, 2024

HIV Transmission, Threat Elements, and Prevention

[ad_1]

When you’re HIV-negative however in a high-risk group for HIV, ask your physician about preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. This consists of taking medicine to scale back your threat of HIV previous to turning into contaminated, and it’s been proven to be extremely efficient when taken constantly.

PrEP must be thought of, for example, should you’re HIV-negative, however in a relationship with an HIV-positive companion, or in case you have a number of sexual companions and don’t routinely use condoms.

PrEP is out there in each tablet type and as injections.

Truvada and Descovy are each drugs that mix the medicines emtricitabine and tenofovir. When taken each day as directed, they’ve been discovered to be 99 % efficient in stopping sexual transmission of HIV and considerably decreasing your threat of getting HIV. It may be troublesome, although, for some folks to stay to a each day routine.

In December 2021, the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) permitted the injectable PrEP drug cabotegravir (Apretude), which is run as soon as each two months. In scientific trials, Apretude was proven to scale back the danger of contracting HIV by 69 % for cisgender males and transgender girls who’ve intercourse with males in contrast with taking the each day PrEP medicine. For cisgender girls at excessive threat for HIV, the injection decreased the danger of contracting the virus by 90 % in contrast with therapy with each day oral medicine.

A course of antiretroviral medicines (ART) after you’ve doubtlessly been uncovered to HIV may forestall you from turning into contaminated; that is referred to as postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). When you’re anxious you’ve been uncovered to HIV, contact your physician as quickly as doable or go to the emergency room. PEP must be began inside 72 hours to work, however the sooner the higher. Each hour counts, in keeping with the CDC.

When you’re HIV-positive, taking ART as directed decreases the quantity of the virus in your physique — what’s often known as viral suppression. Typically the viral load is so low that even HIV assessments don’t detect it. Being virally suppressed or having an undetectable viral load helps forestall the unfold of HIV and is named “therapy as prevention.”

These residing with HIV who preserve an undetectable viral load have successfully no threat of transmitting the virus to their sexual companions, in keeping with the CDC. For pregnant girls residing with HIV, therapy as prevention (when HIV drugs is taken all through being pregnant, labor, and supply, and if preventive drugs is given to the infant for a number of weeks after supply) can scale back the danger of transmission to 1 % or much less.

Further reporting by Deborah Shapiro.

[ad_2]

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply