AIDS

1. What is HIV ?

HIV stands for     H -Human     I - Immunodeficiency     V- Virus

2. What is HIV ?

AIDS stands for    A - Acquired    I  - Immune    D - Deficiency     S - Syndrome.

3. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS ?

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV weakens the body's immune system, which protects the body from diseases. When someone is infected with HIV, their weak immune system makes it easy for them to contract other diseases and infections. The last stage of HIV disease is called AIDS.

4. Which body fluids contain HIV?

HIV is present in infectious quantities in Blood and blood products Semen Vaginal and cervical secretions Breast milk Amniotic fluid Cerebrospinal fluid Synovial fluid around bone joints HIV is present in negligible quantities in Saliva (only found in minute amounts in a very small number of people Tears Blister fluid HIV is not present in Urine Faeces Vomit Sweat

5. What are the main routes of HIV transmission ?

The main ways of HIV transmission are Unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who is infected. Injection or transfusion of contaminated blood or blood products, skin grafts and organ transplants taken from someone who is infected. From a mother who is infected to her baby; this may be during the course of pregnancy, at birth and through breast-feeding. Sharing unsterilised injection equipment that has been previously used by someone who is infected 1. What is HIV ?   HIV stands for     H -Human     I - Immunodeficiency     V- Virus   2. What is HIV ?   AIDS stands for    A - Acquired    I  - Immune    D - Deficiency     S - Syndrome.   3. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS ?   HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV weakens the body's immune system, which protects the body from diseases. When someone is infected with HIV, their weak immune system makes it easy for them to contract other diseases and infections. The last stage of HIV disease is called AIDS.   4. Which body fluids contain HIV?   HIV is present in infectious quantities in Blood and blood products Semen Vaginal and cervical secretions Breast milk Amniotic fluid Cerebrospinal fluid Synovial fluid around bone joints HIV is present in negligible quantities in Saliva (only found in minute amounts in a very small number of people Tears Blister fluid HIV is not present in Urine Faeces Vomit Sweat 5. What are the main routes of HIV transmission ?   The main ways of HIV transmission are Unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who is infected. Injection or transfusion of contaminated blood or blood products, skin grafts and organ transplants taken from someone who is infected. From a mother who is infected to her baby; this may be during the course of pregnancy, at birth and through breast-feeding. Sharing unsterilised injection equipment that has been previously used by someone who is infected. 11. Is there a risk of HIV transmission through the barbers ?   There is no risk of infection unless the skin is cut and infected blood gets in to the wound. Traditional razors used by barbers now have disposable blades, which should only be used once, and so reduce the risk of blood borne infections such as Hepatitis and HIV.   12. What is the risk of becoming infected with HIV during dental procedures or during other surgeries ?   Transmission of HIV in a healthcare setting is extremely rare. The health care professionals are supposed to follow the infection control procedures in their health care settings for infection control. These procedures are called universal precautions for infection control. They are designed to protect both patients and healthcare professionals from the transmission of blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B.   13. Can mosquitoes transmit HIV ?   No it is not possible to get HIV from mosquitoes. When taking blood from someone mosquitoes do not inject blood from any previous person. The only thing that a mosquito injects is saliva, which acts as a lubricant and enables it to feed more efficiently. Secondly, HIV lives for only a short period inside the mosquito and does not reproduce.   14. What precautions should be taken while taking care of HIV infected person at home ?   There are no chances of getting HIV infection to the household members because of just staying with or taking care of HIV infected person in the house. Remember, the support from family members is very essential in HIV infected person's life. Following things should be followed while taking care of HIV infected person at home: Gloves should be worn during contact with blood or other body fluids that could possibly contain visible blood, such as urine, faeces, or vomit. Cuts, sores, or breaks on exposed skin should be covered with bandages. Hands and other parts of the body should be washed immediately after contact with blood or other body fluids. Surfaces soiled with blood should be disinfected appropriately. Practices such as sharing of razors and toothbrushes, that increase the likelihood of blood contact should be avoided. In case of infected women proper disposal of the menstrual pads should be done either by burning or burying them.   15. Can HIV get transmitted through biting?   There are many reports of bite from HIV infected person but they say that bites do not result in HIV infection. 16. What are the early symptoms of HIV infection ?   There are no definite symptoms of this infection. In the initial stage which is called Primary HIV Infection, some individuals may experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, rash, joint pain, diarrhea, headache, nausea and fatigue. All of these symptoms are very vague and can be caused by many other illnesses besides HIV. The only way to know whether somebody is HIV positive is by doing blood test for HIV. However, the test may not be accurate during the initial period because they may be in the 3-6 month window period.   17. What are the tests for detecting HIV infection?   The blood tests for detection of HIV infection can be broadly categorized in two types. They are direct and indirect tests. The direct tests detect the virus in the blood e.g. p24 antigen and PCR and indirect tests detect the antibodies to the HIV in the blood e.g. Elisa and Western blot.   18. What are Elisa and Western Blot tests?   The most common blood test for detecting HIV infection is ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). This test is an antibody test also called 'screening test'which is very sensitive and detects almost all persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) except during the first few weeks of infection. This is done in almost all the pathological laboratories. To be reported as positive by the ELISA test, at least 2 tests on the same blood specimen by two different antigens must react positively. The Western blot test determines the body's immune response to a specific HIV particle. The Western blot test is an antibody test for detecting HIV infection. A negative HIV antibody test implies that the person probably have not been infected with the HIV virus. If the results of the same test done 6 months later are still negative for HIV antibodies, it is highly unlikely that the person have been infected with the virus.   19. What are rapid HIV tests?   A rapid HIV test is a test that usually produces results in 5 to 30 minutes. In comparison, results from the commonly used HIV-antibody screening test, the EIA, are not available for 1-2 weeks. The availability of this test may differ from one place to another. The rapid HIV test is considered to be just as accurate as the EIA. As is true for all screening tests (including the EIA), a positive test result must be confirmed before a diagnosis of infection can be given.   20. Is there a cure for HIV ?   There is no cure for HIV infection. There is treatment that will slow the progression of HIV for some individuals. When individuals take medications to combat HIV infection the virus may not be detected in the blood stream. But this does not mean an individual is cured. This means there is not enough virus in the bloodstream to be detected. These individuals may still transmit the HIV virus to others.