Tag Archives: AIDS

Frequently Asked Questions About AIDS (Part 2)

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AIDS is a life-threatening devastating condition that has claimed nearly 35 million lives worldwide since the first outbreak decades ago. Luckily, because of medical advancements, the prognosis for people with HIV and AIDS is much better than ever before. We looked at what AIDS is and how it can be spread in Part 1, now for prevention and screening:

Can AIDS be prevented? 

The only sure-fire way to prevent contracting the HIV virus is to either abstain from high-risk behaviors such as vaginal or anal intercourse with partners of unknown status or using any type of needle that isn’t given under medical supervision. Aside from abstinence, you can drastically reduce your chances by only have sex one monogamous partner who has been tested negative for HIV as well as using a condom or dental dam for all of your sexual encounters. The CDC recommends people in the high-risk category for HIV take PrEP.

What is PrEP?

Pre-exposure prophylaxis is when a high-risk person takes daily antiretroviral HIV medicines daily to help prevent contracting the disease. It is a relatively new and effective preventative measure against the HIV infection. PrEP can actually stop HIV from successfully infiltrating the body if it is taken as prescribed.

Who Should Consider Taking PrEP?

The CDC recommends that people who engage in ‘risky behaviors’ that fall into the following high-HIV-risk categories take PrEP to help prevent HIV infection:

  • HIV-negative people who are in sexual relationships with an HIV positive partner.
  • A gay or bisexual man who has had intercourse without a condom or been diagnosed with an STD in the past 6 months.
  • Heterosexual people who don’t regularly use condoms during relations with partners of unknown HIV status.
  • People who have sex with other high-risk partners (such as those who inject drugs or women with bisexual male partners).
  • People who have injected drugs in the last 6 months or shared needles.
  • If you are considering becoming pregnant with a partner who is HIV positive PrEP can help protect you and your unborn child.

If you are HIV positive it is your legal and ethical responsibility to disclose your HIV status to any potential sexual partners. If you need help on how to start that tricky conversation, check out the CDC’s HIV resources.

Who Should Get Screened for HIV?

Everyone who has sexual partners of unknown HIV status or is sexually active but not in a committed monogamous relationship with a known HIV-negative person should get screened for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases regularly as 1 in every 8 HIV-positive people don’t even know they are infected. The CDC has extensive screening guidelines on their website including how often people at different risk levels for HIV should be tested.

That concludes our look at HIV/AIDS prevention and screening, thanks for visiting DocChat! If you have any medical questions, our board-certified physicians are standing by 24/7/365 to assist you.

Frequently Asked Questions about AIDS (Part 1)

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HIV/AIDS has caused over 35 million deaths globally since the virus first surfaced. The CDC estimates about 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV/AIDS, and what’s more is that 1 out of 8 of those infected don’t even know it. Because of this, AIDS awareness and screening is vitally important.

What is AIDS?

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the final and most serious stage of HIV infection. When a person contracts the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from another person or a contaminated needle it begins attacking the immune system’s CD4+ cells which renders the body unable to fight off infections. This can open up the person to many dangerous opportunistic infections and diseases (like cancer), which usually happens when AIDS sets in.

How Many HIV Positive People Develop AIDS?

Approximately 50% of those infected with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years. About 75% of HIV-positive people will develop AIDS before the 15-year mark of contracting HIV hits. There is a small percentage of HIV patients who manage to avoid steady immune system decline and can keep HIV in the early and moderate stages for much of their lives.

What is the Prognosis for AIDS?

While there have been excellent advancements in AIDS treatment and medications, there is still no cure so without treatment, AIDS is fatal. However, treatments like antiretroviral medications slow the progression of the disease, allowing AIDS patients to live a much longer and healthier life than ever before. 30 years ago, nearly everyone who contracted HIV/AIDS would be deceased within 5 years.

Does HIV/AIDS have symptoms?

Most people don’t experience symptoms early in the disease, however they may experience more cold symptoms than usual or a sore throat that isn’t attributed to anything else and doesn’t seem to go away. As the disease progresses, a person may experience such symptoms and complications as:

  • Frequent headaches
  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Weight loss
  • Diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Aches and pains
  • Chronic cough
  • Easy bruising or bleeding
  • Recurrent infections or colds

How is HIV Transmitted?

HIV cannot be contracted by giving an infected person a hug or handshake, or even sharing a drink. HIV can only be transmitted when any of an infected person’s bodily fluids aside from saliva,  (blood, semen, rectal or vaginal fluids or breast milk) comes in contact with:

  • a mucous membrane (found in the rectum, vagina, penis and mouth)
  • an open cut
  • the bloodstream

This can happen during any type of unprotected sex (rarely via oral sex, but it is possible), a blood transfusion, tattoo or injection with an HIV contaminated needle, or it can be passed from the mother to a baby during the birthing process. Very rarely transmission has occurred when an HIV-positive parent with a mouth sore has pre-chewed food for their baby or when an HIV-positive person and an HIV-negative person have engaged in deep kissing where one or both partners have open sores, from being bitten by an HIV-positive person or from skin-to-skin contact where open wounds from both the infected and non-infected person touch.

That concludes part 1, but keep an eye out for Part 2 to find out about prevention and screening next! Thanks for visiting DocChat!

 

STI Prevention And Awareness

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It is becoming increasingly important to promote awareness and become educated about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) as the numbers are steadily rising around the country and will only continue to climb if we don’t take preventative measures. Simple choices like not having unprotected or intoxicated sex may mean the difference between being healthy or HIV positive. Untreated STIs can have devastating reproductive consequences if left undetected for years.

STI Statistics:

  1. Over 110 million American men and women have Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
  2. Of the 8 most common STIs only: syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis are treatable. The other 4: hepatitis B, herpes simplex virus, HIV, and human papillomavirus (HPV) are incurable (however there are medications available to help minimize symptoms).
  3. Gonorrhea is progressively developing resistance to common antibacterial treatments making it harder to treat effectively. If this continues, gonorrhea may become one of the incurable ones, therefore it is important to contain the spread of this STI.
  4. Many STIs are transferrable from mother to baby through birth including herpes and HIV. STIs can cause stillbirth, birth defects such as missing limbs, blindness, prematurity, or ailments such as pneumonia.
  5. Undetected or untreated syphilis causes more than 300,000 fetal fatalities annually, and leads to birth defects, congenital conditions and other health complications in 215,000 babies.
  6. Untreated STIs can cause infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women.
  7. Approximately 290 million women across the world have HPV.
  8. Each year HPV leads to over 520,000 cases of cervical cancer, 266,000 of which are deadly.
  9. Having certain STIs like herpes or syphilis can triple your risk of contracting HIV, so you should use extreme caution if you are already infected with an STI.
  10. Many STIs such as syphilis or gonorrhea can have few-to-no symptoms and may go undetected until they resurface to cause pregnancy complications or other issues years later. It is important to get checked for STIs when you first become pregnant so your doctor can take measures to protect your unborn baby in the presence of an STI such as to arrange a caesarian section birth.

STI Prevention

  • Avoid engaging in risky behaviors, such as: unprotected sex of any kind (unless you are in a committed monogamous relationship and were both tested); sex with multiple partners; sexual encounters with anonymous people; receiving unsterile or dangerous tattoos or injections; engaging in sexual behavior while under the influence of alcohol or drugs (your judgement may be impaired).
  • Females should be vaccinated with the HPV vaccination.
  • Use condoms properly every time you engage in sexual behaviour.
  • If you have multiple sexual partners (or one that you suspect may have an infection) get tested regularly for sexually transmitted infections.
  • If you are engaging in sexual activity with a partner who is HIV positive, ask your doctor about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to see if it is a viable option for you.
  • Have open an discussion with your partners about if they were recently tested or have any existing STIs.
  • Talk to your doctor about your sexual habits and lifestyle to see what preventative measures he or she would suggest to help you lower your risk of contracting STIs, or prevent spreading STIs to others if you already have them.
  • Abstinence until you find a desired life partner is another preventative measure some wish to partake in.
  • It is also important to talk to your children when they are old enough about the importance of practicing abstinence or safe sex.

More Information

For more information about STIs or about how to talk to young people about STI prevention, visit the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention’s comprehensive database on sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases. If you already have an STI, there are resources available that can help with management and providing support, such as the American Sexual Health Association. For more information on these topics, you can talk to your doctor or one of our highly skilled DocChat physicians about STI prevention, treatment, management, or how to get tested today.

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