According to the tenets of Ayurveda, HIV is primarily a disease involving low immunity which is considered the most vital sap of the body. Immunity is in charge of providing both mental and physical strengths required to cope up with the foreign bodies that cause unwanted changes in the human body. When the immune system gets disrupted, the individual becomes susceptible to a host of infections and disorders. There are incessant numbers of bacteria and viruses in the environment, and some of them are highly contagious which can easily cause an infection.

Ayurveda has numerous highly effective therapies to combat HIV exposure. There is a sector of Ayurveda specifically dedicated to boosting immunity and vitality in the body with the help of herbs, minerals, and practice of Ayurvedic techniques. The treatment first aims to detoxify the body and strengthen the immune system which improves the immune system with the help of certain "rasayanic" techniques.

How is HIV exposure treated through Ayurveda?
The first step of HIV exposure treatment through Ayurveda is having nourishing food and leading a positive life supported by well-meaning friends and relatives. The patient can also take part in some physical exercises which don't cause any strain to the fragile health condition. Engaging in comfortable yet fruitful activities can help in strengthening good tendencies and stimulating appetite as well.

Then the patient will have to take some Ayurvedic tonics along with rejuvenators that can boost immunity levels and eliminate the toxins from the body. This is particularly done through emesis, purgation, and enemas. The medications which are given at this stage are neither drastic nor very harsh for the body so that they can be digested without any difficulty.

In the third stage of treatment, appropriate medications will help in purifying the blood, and this is where the role of liver corrective measures come to the fore. The patient has to take preparations with medicated ghee and soups that can alleviate the signs and symptoms of HIV exposure. There is no scope of consuming spicy and oily junk foods as they can take a toll on the patient s liver. Medicated alcohol may have to be used to aid in the digestive procedure and removal of blockages in the flow of energy.

Participating in physical activities on a daily basis is important. In case the patient is too weak to exercise or even run, then steaming can be helpful. This is very crucial since it is believed in Ayurveda that heated blood can weaken and sometimes destroy the virus involved in HIV.

There are some herbal cum mineral compounds which are helpful for subsiding the conditions of HIV exposure. It is important to consult with an expert who can evaluate your condition and help in healing the signs and symptoms that you are suffering from.

HIV Exposure - How Ayurveda Can Help You Manage It?

Hiv or the human immunodeficiency virus is the lentivirus which causes hiv infection and leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or aids.

The symptoms of hiv vary from person to person. There are three main stages of hiv infections, where each stage has different symptoms.

Here are some facts about the three stages of hiv infections along with the accompanying symptoms.

Acute hiv infection stage
This is the first stage of hiv infection and after three to four weeks of becoming hiv infected, people experience symptoms, which are similar to flu. This flu usually does not last more than two weeks.

Symptoms include:
Fever
Rashes on the body
A sore throat
Swelling of different glands
Headache
Joint and muscle pain
Improper digestion

These symptoms appear and indicate that the body is reacting to the hiv. Infected cells circulate throughout the blood, and the immune system produces hiv antibodies in order to attack the viruses. This process is termed as seroconversion, and it takes place within 45 days of getting infected. The levels of virus in your blood are quite high during this stage.

Clinical latency stage
This is the second stage of hiv infection, which follows the early stage. This stage is also known as chronic hiv stage. During this stage, hiv is active, but is reproduced at a very low level. People in this stage may not receive symptoms related to hiv or may get mild indications.

In case of people who do not take medicines for hiv treatment, this stage lasts for a long period. Some people, however, progress faster through this stage. Medicines should be taken to keep the virus in check. During this stage, people can transmit hiv to others very easily in spite of not experiencing any symptoms. People who are on medication stay suppressed virally and have a low level of hiv in their blood, and the risk of transmission is less.

Symptomic hiv infection or aids stage
This is the third stage of hiv infection, which is characterized by severe damage to the immune system of an hiv-virus affected person. A patient is likely to have serious infections and gets bacterial or fungal diseases. The infections are termed as opportunistic infections. The patient is now said to be having aids.

The symptoms of this stage are:
Loss of weight
Diarrhoea
Sweating at night
Fevers and persistent coughing
Problems in the mouth and skin
Infections on a regular basis
Illness and development of other diseases.

Hiv infection affects the body via three stages and leads to aids in the third stage. Each stage is accompanied by several symptoms.

Stages and Symptoms of HIV Infections

Gonorrhea : Disease + Symptoms

Gonorrhea is a contagious disease that can affect both men and women. It is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae that can easily grow in the mucus membranes of the human body.

It is mostly transmitted when an uninfected person gets in sexual contact with an infected person. It can also be spread when a mother's infected body fluids come in contact with her newborn during childbirth.

It is a common infection and the symptoms vary for both men and women. The symptoms are:

Symptoms in Women:

- White or greenish-yellow vaginal discharge
- Burning sensation while urinating
- Pain in the lower abdomen and in the pelvic region
- Occurrence of Conjunctivitis
- Spotting or light bleeding after sexual intercourse
- Bleeding between periods
- Vulvitis

Symptoms in Men:

- White or greenish-yellow discharge from the penis
- Swelling and pain in the testicles
- Burning sensation while urinating

The symptoms come to notice usually within 2 to 10 days of the infection in case of women and it takes approximately 14 days for them to be recognized in the case of men. However in a few cases, the symptoms may take as long as 30 days to appear or they may appear so negligibly that they are hardly noticeable if they occur at all.



Gonorrhea is Contagious. But is it Only Sexually Transmitted?

For nearly 30 years, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) have been shrouded in myths and misconceptions. In some cases, these mistaken ideas have prompted the very behavior that cause more people to become HIV positive. Here are the top five myths about HIV, along with the facts to dispute them.

Myth No. 1: I can get HIV by being around people who are HIV-positive.

The evidence shows that HIV is non communicable and does not spread through touch, tears, sweat or saliva. You cannot catch HIV by:

    Breathing the same air as someone who is HIV-positive
    Touching a toilet seat or doorknob handle after an HIV-positive person
    Drinking from a water fountain
    Hugging, kissing, or shaking hands with someone who is HIV-positive
    Sharing eating utensils with an HIV-positive person
    Using exercise equipment at a gym

You can get it from infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or mother's milk.

Myth No. 2: I can get HIV from mosquitoes.

Because HIV is spread through blood, people have worried that biting or bloodsucking insects might spread HIV. Several studies, however, show no evidence to support this, even in areas with lots of mosquitoes and cases of HIV. When insects bite, they do not inject the blood of the person or animal they have last bitten. Also, HIV lives for only a short time inside an insect.

Myth No. 3: I'm HIV positive, my life is over.

In the early years of the disease epidemic, the death rate from AIDS was extremely high. But today, antiretroviral drugs allow HIV positive people and even those with AIDS to live much longer, normal and productive lives.

Myth No. 4: My partner and I are both HIV positive there's no reason for us to practice safer sex.

Practising safer sex, wearing condoms or using dental dams can protect you both from becoming exposed to other (potentially drug resistant) strains of HIV.

Myth No. 5: You can't get HIV from oral sex.

It's true that oral sex is less risky than some other types of sex. But you can get HIV by having oral sex with either a man or a woman who is HIV positive. Always use a latex barrier during oral sex.

Top 5 Myths & Misconceptions About HIV & AIDS!

Tuberculosis is an opportunistic infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The infections occurring in people with weak immunity as compared to the people with a healthy immune system are called as opportunistic infections. As, HIV enters the human body, it replicates and weakens the immune system which in turn increases the risk of contracting Tuberculosis in people already suffering from HIV infection.

An HIV and Tuberculosis co-infection occurs when an individual has both, the HIV infection and an either latent or active TB disease simultaneously.  Each disease acts in speeding up the progress of the other, when HIV and TB infection is present together in the body. HIV infection speeds up the progression from latent to active Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis also accelerates the progression of replication and spread of the HIV infection.

HIV infection and Tuberculosis are totally different type of infectious diseases. HIV is a viral infection and TB is a bacterial one. An HIV infected person will not contract TB unless a contact happens with a TB infected person. TB spreads via droplet infection and is communicable. If a person lives in a country with a high prevalence rate of TB, an HIV patient is highly susceptible to contracting the infection. In the similar manner, a person suffering from TB gets infected with the HIV infection only through the blood and bodily fluids borne route, with unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV infected individual being the most important cause.

Amongst all the other opportunistic infections, TB occurs at an earlier stage in the course of an HIV infection than most other opportunistic infections. Mortality rate in the co-infected patients is more than twice that of HIV infected individuals without a TB infection. Even if a patient is undergoing anti-retroviral therapy, the death rates remain high in co-infected individuals.The natural history and course of TB gets altered in people with an infected immune system. The damage to immunity due to HIV infection causes a drastic reduction in the pathogen killing capacity of the body. In such patients if there is no anti-retroviral treatment prescribed, then the latency period between the infection and progression of disease gets eliminated. 

An active phase of TB is observed in such individuals progressing within a short span of time, ranging from weeks to months, rather than years as it normally should be spanning. Risk of progression from a latent stage to an active stage of TB is around 10-15 times greater in an HIV infected individual as compared to the non-infected person. Such individuals also communicate the disease more rapidly to others.Pulmonary tuberculosis in an HIV infected person can present similar symptoms like that of a classic TB disease. However, a co-infection can sometimes show less presenting TB symptoms, where even the chest X-ray scans can be observed to be normal. A  subclinical  phase of Tb in co-infected patients can cause delay in the diagnosis of the symptoms and subsequently affect the prognosis due to lack of timely treatment.

Social stigma and discrimination has caused an obstacle in provision of adequate treatment for people with HIV. Proper counseling  and initiatives taken to provide indiscriminate care can aid in identification of co-infection and earlier stages. Anti-retroviral treatment teamed up with anti-tubercular drug regimen is prescribed and a successful treatment for drug sensitive cases of TB can be provided with medications for 6-8 months.

How HIV & TB  Are Related?

People who suffer from human immunodeficiency virus, commonly known as'hiv, are known as hiv positive people. The virus is the agent of aids that is currently incurable. Hiv is known to alter the human immune system and makes people much more susceptible and vulnerable to diseases and infections. 

Body fluids such as semen, blood, breast milk, vaginal fluids etc. Of an infected individual contains the virus, which can be passed from one person to another during blood-to-blood and/or sexual contact. Hiv positive women may even pass on this virus to their children during pregnancy, delivery or by breast feeding them. Hiv is also transmitted during oral, anal or vaginal sex, by contaminated hypodermic needles and by blood transfusion. 

Mentioned below are a few issues that a hiv positive woman have to face apart from discrimination and stigma, fear of infecting their children or partners, violence and abandonment. 

1. Menstrual disorders: changes in menstrual cycles are frequently reported by hiv infected women. However, menstrual dysfunctions are due to varied reasons that aren't directly related to the disease. Although most of the hiv positive women suffer from amenorrhea i. E. The unusual absence of periods, it is not just due to hiv but also because of weight loss or immunosuppression. 
 
2. Contraception: it is very important that the contraception a hiv positive woman chooses not only acts as birth control, but also to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and hiv. Although condoms do not provide exceptional pregnancy prevention, they are excellent at preventing transmission of the hiv virus. Permanent sterilization is usually the most chosen contraceptive method for hiv serodiscordant couples.

3. Surgical complications: hiv positive women are at a higher risk of undergoing gynecologic surgery. This is because they are more vulnerable to pelvic infectious disease that requires surgical intervention. There is also a greater risk of developing vulvar cancer in hiv positive women. 

4. Fertility: there has been an increase in the number of seropositive women contemplating pregnancy and childbirth. Most couples resort to assisted reproduction to lower the risk of horizontal hiv transmission. Studies show that undergoing hiv treatment and having an undetectable viral load is helpful in preventing the transmission of hiv. It is important to consult a medical expert if you are unable to get pregnant after at least 6 months of trying. Fertility problems are more common in hiv positive women than hiv negative women.

Issues for HIV Positive Women

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