Summary of HIV Aids
The author of the article discusses the ways of infection, prevention of infection, and management of the disease HIV Aids (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a viral infection that targets and alters the human immune systems thereby increasing the impact and risks of other diseases. AIDS is the advanced stage of the HIV infection which targets and infiltrates the white blood cells, thereby reducing the body’s defense mechanism against opportunistic diseases and infections (HIV and AIDS n.d). Any person can get infected with HIV since it does not affect a given demographic.
Similarly, HIV/Aids virus can also be transmitted from a pregnant mother to the child during pregnancy, at birth, or when breastfeeding (HIV and AIDS n.d). Consequently, for one to transmit HIV, the body fluids must contain enough amounts of the virus. Therefore, it is not possible for an infected person with undetectable HIV levels to transmit it to another person. However, the leading causes of the disease in the globe are unprotected anal or vaginal sexual relations with an infected individual, and sharing of injectable equipment’s in the consumption of illicit drugs, steroids, hormones with an infected person. The disease is detected through blood, or body fluids laboratory tests, and prevention measures are through the use of condoms or abstaining from sex with infected individuals.
Some of HIV infection symptoms include infections by other viruses, fungi, and bacteria or parasitic manifestation that can cause severe HIV symptoms (Eisinger et al. n.d.). However, HIV/Aids cannot be transmitted by individuals who have undetectable levels of the viral load. This is because for one to transmit HIV, the viral load has to be substantial. However, HIV is not curable, and treatment is done through the consumption of antiretroviral drugs for a life.
Significance to Course and Global Health
The importance of the article to the course and global health is to make the global community aware of HIV as a misunderstood and potentially dangerous infection that drastically reduces the human body immune system in fighting and combatting other infections. Therefore, with the right medication, such as strict adherence to consuming antiretroviral therapy, infected individuals can live for more than 20 years.
Conversely, HIV aids can lead to a wide range of opportunistic infections that pose heightened risks to health such as tuberculosis, lymphoma, herpes simplex, HIV-related encephalopathy, recurrent pneumonia among others (HIV and AIDS n.d). The cure for HIV is yet to be found, although the infection can be managed by strict adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Undetectable HIV is the low amount of the virus that cannot be detected during a blood test. The undetectable levels of the HIV can be attained by following the prescribed course of treatment and regular monitoring of the undetectable status. Subsequently, without adequate medication and healthcare, HIV can weaken the body’s ability to fight infections, and the infected individual can become vulnerable to opportunistic infections such as cold, and other serious illnesses (Eisinger et al. n.d.). Therefore, it is essential that people understand the dynamics under which HIV/Aids is transmitted, the prevention measures and the right medication therapy for infected individuals. Moreover, knowing this will significantly reduce stigma and it will improve the medication intake levels.
HIV/ Aids if not checked will continue to magnify its impacts into the future because it primarily affects younger people and extensively spreads through the sexual productive demographics. Similarly, since the measure of prevalence of the infection only accounts for new infections, it does not consider those who have died or who have yet to be infected in future.
References
Eisinger RW , et al. (n.d.). HIV Viral Load and Transmissibility of HIV Infection: Undetectable Equals Untransmittable. – PubMed – NCBI. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30629090
HIV and AIDS: Overview, causes, symptoms, and treatments. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/17131.php