In line with the World AIDS Day on 1st December each year, I've decided to make our first official post for this month about HIV/AIDS.
Yes! Has it been long you heard about it? That's because many of us have become negligent and have unconsciously or consciously chosen to rid our minds of the thought.
I'm not here to bore you with the already known facts, but to remind you of its existence. We'll take a run through of what we might have already known.
HIV/AIDS is still very much alive and is still killing people on a daily basis.
HIV/AIDS simply stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. HIV causes AIDS and interferes with the body's ability to fight infections.
Treatment can help, but this condition can't be cured.
Chronic: can last for years or be lifelong
Requires a medical diagnosis
Lab tests or imaging always required
HOW IT SPREADS
By blood products (unclean needles or unscreened blood).
By having unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
By mother to baby by pregnancy, labor, or nursing.
Nigeria has the second largest HIV epidemic in the world and one of the highest rates of new infection in sub-Saharan Africa.
Many people living with HIV in Nigeria are unaware of their status. Nigeria continues to fall short of providing the recommended number of HIV testing and counselling sites.
Low levels of access to antiretroviral treatment remains an issue for people living with HIV, meaning that there are still many AIDS-related deaths in Nigeria.
Punitive laws against homosexuality mean that men who have sex with men face difficulties accessing HIV services.
HIV is a variation of a virus that can be transmitted to African chimpanzees. Scientists suspect the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) jumped from chimps to humans when people consumed chimpanzee meat containing the virus.
Once inside the human population, the virus mutated into what we now know as HIV. This likely occurred as long ago as the 1920s.
HIV spread from person to person throughout Africa over the course of several decades. Eventually, the virus migrated to other parts of the world. Scientists first discovered HIV in a human blood sample in 1959.
It’s thought that HIV has existed in the United States since the 1970s, but it didn’t start to hit public consciousness until the 1980s.
Causes of AIDS
AIDS is caused by HIV. A person can’t get AIDS if they haven’t contracted HIV.
Healthy individuals have a CD4 count of 500 to 1,500 per cubic millimeter. Without treatment, HIV continues to multiply and destroy CD4 cells. If a person’s CD4 count falls below 200, they have AIDS.
Also, if someone with HIV develops an opportunistic infection associated with HIV, they can still be diagnosed with AIDS, even if their CD4 count is above 200.
What tests are used to diagnose HIV?
Several different tests can be used to diagnose HIV. Healthcare providers determine which test is best for each person.
Antibody/antigen tests
Antibody/antigen tests are the most commonly used tests. They can show positive results typically within 18–45 days.
These tests check the blood for antibodies and antigens. An antibody is a type of protein the body makes to respond to an infection. An antigen, on the other hand, is the part of the virus that activates the immune system.
Antibody tests
These tests check the blood solely for antibodies. Between 23 and 90 days, most people will develop detectable HIV antibodies, which can be found in the blood or saliva.
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