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| HIV
stands for Human Immunodeficiency
Virus. It is a retrovirus that attacks
the immune system, disabling the body's natural
protection against external infections. HIV only
affects human beings and its presence can be
detected through an HIV antibody test. HIV
is highly concentrated in blood, semen and vaginal
fluid but is present in very low concentrations
in saliva and tears.. HIV is a very 'intelligent'
virus. It can mutate and hide inside the human body,
which makes it an almost invincible target. However,
outside the human body, the virus is weak. HIV is
the virus that causes AIDS. |
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| AIDS
stands for Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome. 'Acquired'
means something that is |
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| not inherited. 'Immune Deficiency'
means a weakened immune system that is unable to resist oncoming
diseases. 'Syndrome' means signs and symptoms of an illness. |
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| AIDS is the condition whereby
HIV has destroyed a person's immune system, such that it is
unable to defend the body from opportunistic diseases. Examples
of common opportunistic infections in a person who has developed
AIDS are Kaposi's Sarcoma, Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia
(PCP) and Tuberculosis. |
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| The mechanism that protects the human body
from bacterial or viral infections is known as the immune
system. The immune system functions via white blood cells,
which identify, attack, and destroy infections and cancerous
cells. CD4 cells are a type of white blood cell. |
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| Upon entering the human body, HIV will
attack CD4
cells and destroy them. The viruses then use infected CD4 cells
to produce more HIV viruses. These new viruses invade other
CD4 cells, causing the body's immune system to slowly deteriorate.
As a result, the body's immune system is weakened and cannot
fight against oncoming infections. |
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| Anyone can be infected with HIV. It is
not who you are, but more so what you do that puts you
at risk of an HIV infection. HIV carriers may look and feel
healthy but at the same time, they are able to transmit the
virus to others. It is not possible to identify an HIV-positive
person based on how they look on the outside. Prevention is,
by far, still the best method for avoiding HIV infection. |
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| CD4 cells are a type of white blood
cell that helps the body fight against infections. Viral
load is the quantity of HIV contained within 1 milliliter
of blood. The viral load should be zero in the blood of a person
without HIV. Post infection, the CD4 count goes down and
viral load increases. |
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| AIDS cannot be cured. There are
ongoing research projects to find a vaccine that could prevent
HIV infection. Once you are infected with HIV, you will stay
infected for the rest of your life. |
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| There is a range of medications known as
antiretroviral
drugs that suppresses the virus's ability to replicate
itself. As a result, there are less chances of HIV infecting
other CD4 cells. These drugs, however, are not a cure for AIDS. |
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| There are 3 main modes of HIV transmission: |
- Unprotected, penetrative sex with an infected person
- Exchange of infected blood, for example sharing
infected needles and syringes, blood transfusion or organ
transplant
- Mother to child transmission (vertical transmission)
during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding, which
presents a 30 percent risk but can be lowered to less than
10 percent with the use of a medication called AZT
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- Social contacts such as hugging
- Sharing food and drinks
- Studying or working together
- Sharing public facilities such as public phones, swimming
pools or public toilets
- Sharing beds or home equipment
- Mosquito bites
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