HIV/AIDS: The Basics!

Transmission of HIV occurs when there is an exchange of body fluids (such as semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk, blood or pre-ejaculatory fluids), and this is possible during oral sex when there are open wounds. These include cuts, sores or abrasions in the mouth or gums, or infections in the throat or mouth that are inflammed. There may also be abrasions or sores on the penis or vagina. It is best to avoid oral sex if you have any cuts, sores or abrasions, or if you have a sexually transmitted infection. Otherwise, it is advisable to use condoms when engaging in oral sex.

Even when you're feeling great, HIV is making copies of itself and attacking your body. When you finally start feeling sick, HIV has already hurt your immune system. At that point, nothing can bring it fully back to normal. To protect your immune system, most experts think you should start HIV medicines before you become very ill. Because these drugs reduce your "viral load," or the amount of virus in your blood, they also reduce your chances of passing HIV to others. However, taking HIV treatment does not guarantee that you will not infect others. Regular check-up will help you and all developed county and WHO (World Health Organization) s guideline 2015 says all HIV infected should start Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) immediately irrespective of clinical symptoms present or not and irrespective of CD4 count.

Although HIV/AIDS has no cure, it can be treated. There has been tremendous progress in treatment for HIV over the years. A person living with HIV/AIDS can now continue to live a strong and productive life for many years. Life expectancy and quality of life can be as good as non HIV infected individual.

A woman who knows about her HIV infection early in pregnancy and is treated has about a 2 percent chance of having a baby with HIV. Without treatment, this risk is about 30 to 40 percent. All pregnant women should be tested for HIV. A woman with HIV should not breastfeed her baby because that is another way to pass the virus. There are other ways like Medicine to prevent HIV in your kids.