Today is World AIDS day, an epidemic that has been present since the end of the XNUMXth century and that, far from decreasing in number of affected, increases every day.
Why do we need AIDS day?
What does the "AIDS day"? Having a day marked on the calendar as "AIDS day" aims to remind us the importance of HIV infection, its consequences and the need to take measures to reduce its transmission. Need Raise awareness to the population about a disease that is still there, but that has lost the ability to alarm us that it had in the beginning, when nothing was known about an evil that ended the lives of singers, actors, famous people and not so famous people of a very hard way. It is an opportunity to remember that although we have learned to live with her the measures of prevention they never hurt. It is also a reminder for the institutions, as well as for the general population of the importance of guaranteeing access to treatment and non-discrimination against people living with HIV.
What is AIDS?
AIDS is a disease caused by the HIV virus (HIV). The disease appears when the virus has destroyed the body's defenses and it is unable to defend itself against any infection. As the virus enters the body, generally, no symptoms of illness appear. People infected by the virus produce antibodies against it and these can be detected in their blood through an analysis (this is called being "HIV positive") It takes several years for the person with HIV to develop AIDS.
Transmission.
Transmission of the HIV virus occurs in very specific cases
- Sexual intercourse with vaginal, anal and oral penetration without a condom.
- Sharing a sharp object non-sterile that has been in contact with infected blood: syringes, needles, acupuncture instruments, tattoos, piercing, etc.
- On a mother with HIV to her son or daughter during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
- It is not transmitted for touching or hugging an infected person
- It is not transmitted from tears, saliva or sweat, or from living with an infected person.
Transmission
In recent years there have been advances very important in the treatment of the disease. Although we still do not have any medicine that really cures AIDS, there are treatments that have considerably improved the quality and life expectancy of people with AIDS, making this one, practically, chronic disease and controllable, even reducing the transmission of maternal-fetal infection in such a way that the numbers of childhood HIV have been considerably reduced. It is possible that an "HIV-positive" person receives the appropriate treatment and does not develop AIDS in decades or even does not develop it.
There are currently multiple lines of investigation To get a vaccine against HIV, the results are encouraging, but there is still a lot to research and a lot of work to do, so it will take years to get it.
Current situation
Although the epidemic affects everyone Poor countries are the worst hit, with 70% of total cases and 90% of child AIDS cases registered in the Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prevention
- "Barrier" contraceptive methods;The male and female condoms have been shown to be the most effective methods in preventing HIV transmission through vaginal, anal, and oral penetrations.
- The use of lubricants with condoms reduces the risk of transmission of HIV in sexual intercourse, by reducing the appearance of friction lesions on the vaginal wall or on the skin of the penis.
- Never share syringes
- All the sharp instruments, instruments such as earrings, piercings, tattoos or acupuncture needles, can transmit HIV, therefore must be single-use or can be sterilized.
- Currently, HIV detection is usually carried out in the first trimester of pregnancy.. Early detection and treatment considerably reduce both transmission to the baby and the affectation of the mother.
The UN strategy is summarized as follows: «For the year 2030 in the world, it is set as goals that there are (95-95-95), 95% of people diagnosed, 95% of people in treatment and 95% of people with undetectable viral load (no virus is detected in blood, but we cannot speak of a cure) 200.000 new infections and ZERO DISCRIMINATION ».
Currently there is the possibility of carrying out a Quick test for the detection of the disease if it is suspected that you may have been in contact with the virus, if this is the case, talk to your doctor and remember that the early detection and treatment they are the basis for preventing HIV infection from leading to AIDS.