How is HIV detected? Several different types of laboratory tests can be used to determine whether a person is HIV-positive. It is impossible to look at someone and know whether he or she is HIV- positive. Most tests used to screen for the virus detect HIV antibodies – proteins the body produces to fight off the infection in blood or oral fluid samples – such as:
● Any sort of damaged or broken skin, such as sunburn or blisters. Bloodborne pathogens may also be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the:
● Eyes. ● Nose. ● Mouth. How does HIV cause AIDS?
● Synovial fluid. ● Pleural fluid. ● Amniotic fluid. ● Saliva (in dental procedures).
HIV destroys CD4+ T cells that are important to the normal function of the human immune system. As the virus destroys these cells, HIV-positive people are susceptible to illnesses that generally do not affect people with healthy immune systems. According to studies comprised of thousands of people, most HIV-positive people are infected with the virus for years before it does enough damage to the immune system to make them susceptible to AIDS-related diseases. Tests are available to measure the amount of HIV in the blood – the viral load – and those with higher viral loads are more likely to develop AIDS-related diseases and to experience a decline in their CD4+ T cells. Reducing the amount of virus in the body with antiretroviral medications can dramatically slow the destruction of a person’s immune system and the progression of illness. Why do some people make statements that HIV does not cause AIDS? The HIV/AIDS pandemic has attracted much attention both within and outside of the medical and scientific communities, possibly because of the many social issues related to HIV/AIDS, including sexuality, drug use and poverty. Although the scientific evidence is overwhelming and compelling that HIV is the cause of AIDS, the disease process is still not completely understood. This incomplete understanding has led some people to make statements that AIDS is not caused by an infectious agent or is caused by a virus that is not HIV. This is not only misleading but may have dangerous consequences. Both the U.S. National Institutes of Health and UNAIDS offer explanations of why HIV leads to AIDS.
● Any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood. HBV, HCV, and HIV are most commonly transmitted through:
● Sexual contact (less likely for HCV). ● Sharing of hypodermic needles.
● From mothers to their babies at/before birth. ● Accidental puncture from contaminated needles, broken glass, or other sharps. ● Contact between broken or damaged skin and infected body fluids. ● Contact between mucous membranes and infected body fluids. In most work situations, transmission is most likely to occur due to accidental puncture from contaminated needles, broken glass, or other sharps like scissors; contact between broken or damaged skin and infected body fluids; or contact between mucous membranes and infected body fluids. For example, if someone infected with HBV cut his or her finger on a piece of glass, and then you cut yourself on the now- infected piece of glass, it is possible that you could contract the disease. Anytime there is blood-to-blood contact with infected blood or body fluids, there is a slight potential for transmission. Unbroken skin forms an impervious barrier against bloodborne pathogens. However, infected blood can enter your system through: ● Open sores. ● Cuts. ● Abrasions. ● Acne.
HOW HIV CAUSES AIDS AND THE EVIDENCE THAT HIV CAUSES AIDS
How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS? The time between HIV infection and progression to AIDS differs for each person and depends on many factors, including a person’s health status and their health-related behaviors. With a healthy lifestyle, the time between HIV infection and developing AIDS-related illnesses can be 10 to 15 years, sometimes longer. Antiretroviral therapy can slow the progression of HIV to AIDS by decreasing the amount of virus in a person’s body. There also are other medical treatments that can prevent or cure some of the illnesses associated with AIDS, although the treatments do not cure HIV or AIDS. As with other diseases, early detection of HIV infection allows for more options for treatment and preventive health care.
What are some of the symptoms of HIV infection and AIDS? Once infected with HIV, a person may or may not experience any symptoms. People who do experience symptoms might have a flu-like illness within one or two months after infection. Symptoms can include fever, headache, tiredness, and/or enlarged lymph nodes. These symptoms usually disappear within a week to a month and are often mistaken for the symptoms of more common viral infections, like a cold. More persistent or severe symptoms might not appear for several years after a person is first infected with HIV. This period of “asymptomatic” infection is highly individual. Some people might begin to have symptoms within a few months, while others might be symptom-free for more than 10 years. As the immune system is weakened by HIV, several complications and symptoms could begin to occur. These symptoms might be made worse if the HIV-positive person is not getting the care and services they need. For many people, the first signs of infection are enlarged lymph nodes, or “swollen glands,” that may be inflamed for several months.
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