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Though persons are extra educated in regards to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as we speak, there are nonetheless misconceptions in regards to the virus. False assumptions can improve the chance of an infection and the percentages of transmitting the virus to another person. Listed below are some myth-busting solutions to essentially the most generally requested questions on HIV.
1. Are HIV and AIDS the Similar Factor?
HIV and AIDs should not the identical factor. HIV is a virus, whereas AIDS is a stage of superior an infection. Particularly, HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, is an infectious virus that regularly breaks down an individual’s immune system, leaving the physique much less capable of defend itself in opposition to viruses, micro organism, fungi, and parasites. These infections, that are known as “opportunistic,” are typically delicate within the early phases and may change into progressively worse as they deplete your immune system.
AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is the stage of the illness when the immune system is weakened by the lack of CD4 T cells (additionally known as helper T cells). These are white blood cells that assist fend off dangerous pathogens within the physique. With out these defenses, an individual shall be at excessive threat for critical sicknesses {that a} wholesome particular person would be capable of struggle off.
AIDS is recognized when an individual has a CD4 rely of lower than 200 (that means lower than 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood) or has no less than one among 27 AIDS-defining situations outlined by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), resembling recurrent pneumonia and a few lymphomas.
2. Can HIV Dwell Exterior the Physique?
HIV doesn’t reside exterior the physique for very lengthy. In contrast with different sorts of viruses, resembling flu or chickenpox, HIV is comparatively fragile: It doesn’t thrive at room temperature (68 levels F), when uncovered to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the solar, or at pH ranges which are dissimilar to that of blood.
Even when a small quantity of virus does handle to outlive for a brief time period, the percentages that it’ll infect you might be subsequent to zero. There have been no confirmed circumstances of HIV brought on by a blood-tainted needle in a public place so far. Even in a healthcare setting, the chance of an infection from a needlestick harm is lower than 1 p.c, per the CDC.
3. Which Actions Are Most More likely to Transmit HIV?
The three principal routes of HIV an infection in america are anal intercourse, vaginal intercourse, and shared needles. Of those, unprotected anal intercourse poses the best threat. Right here is the estimated chance of buying HIV from an contaminated supply, via drug use and totally different intercourse acts, based on the CDC:
- Receptive anal intercourse: 1 in 72
- Shared injection drug use: 1 in 160
- Insertive anal intercourse: 1 in 909
- Receptive penile-vaginal intercourse: 1 in 1,250
- Insertive penile-vaginal intercourse: 1 in 2,500
The extra you interact in these actions, the extra possible you might be to contract the virus, though it’s nonetheless potential to get contaminated after a single publicity.
When you’re apprehensive about your threat of contracting HIV, discuss to your healthcare supplier about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a extremely efficient oral or injectable treatment for HIV prevention. In response to the CDC, it will possibly cut back the chance of HIV an infection via intercourse by 99 p.c when taken accurately.
RELATED: 7 Issues You Can Do to Defend In opposition to HIV
4. Can You Get HIV From Oral Intercourse?
Whereas there’s a potential threat of getting HIV from oral intercourse, the documented threat stays extraordinarily low. The CDC says that the chance is tough to quantify, as a result of lots of people who’ve oral intercourse have anal or vaginal intercourse, too.
Nonetheless, there are particular elements that will improve the potential for an infection. These embody coexisting sexually transmitted ailments (STDs) and bleeding gums. Even then, it’s unlikely that an individual shall be contaminated by having oral intercourse. Utilizing a condom or dental dam can additional cut back the already low threat, as can taking medication to forestall or deal with HIV.
5. How Frequent Are False Negatives and False Positives?
Due to the usage of next-generation applied sciences, the accuracy of HIV testing in healthcare settings has by no means been higher. Nonetheless, false positives and false negatives have been recognized to happen, albeit occasionally.
Immediately, the false adverse price for antibody-only checks is just round 0.3 p.c (or roughly 3 out of each 1,000 checks), based on i-BASE. False constructive charges are even decrease — between 0.0004 p.c and 0.0007 p.c, based on StatPearls — due largely to the observe of confirming a constructive consequence with a secondary take a look at.
If a false adverse does happen, it’s typically the results of untimely testing in the course of the so-called window interval. That is the time period following an infection when the physique has not but produced sufficient protecting proteins (known as antibodies) to register an correct consequence. If this occurs, an individual could consider that they haven’t been contaminated.
Newer antigen/antibody lab checks have considerably lowered this window interval, based on the CDC. Nonetheless, you continue to want to attend about three to 5 weeks after being uncovered to the virus to get a dependable consequence.
That mentioned, when you assume you’ve been uncovered to HIV within the final 72 hours, the CDC says to contact a well being supplier, hospital, or pressing care heart straight away about getting post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
6. How Correct Are In-Residence HIV Exams?
Presently there is just one in-home HIV take a look at obtainable in america, OraQuick, promoted as a way to make sure privateness for many who may in any other case keep away from getting examined. It’s straightforward to make use of, requiring solely a easy saliva swab, and may return a end in as little as 20 minutes.
As a result of antibody ranges in saliva are decrease than they’re in blood, this take a look at can fall brief in its means to detect an infection. In response to the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA), 1 in 12 OraQuick checks will ship a false adverse, that means that roughly 1 out of each 12 checks will ship an incorrect all-clear signal.
7. Can a Pap Smear Detect HIV?
A Pap smear is efficacious for a lot of issues, however HIV detection isn’t one among them. The intention of a Pap smear is to establish cell adjustments that will point out cervical most cancers, to not test for the presence of HIV, which might be recognized solely with a blood- or saliva-based HIV take a look at.
That mentioned, Pap smears are particularly essential for girls who’ve HIV; these ladies are no less than 5 occasions extra prone to develop invasive cervical most cancers than ladies who don’t have HIV. The take a look at may also be used to display for anal most cancers and the human papillomavirus (HPV).
8. How Lengthy Does It Take for HIV Signs to Seem?
As much as 80 p.c of newly contaminated folks expertise signs in the course of the early (acute) stage of HIV an infection. These usually develop inside two to 4 weeks of publicity and resemble signs of the flu, resembling fever, sore throat, physique rash, headache, and muscle and joint ache, based on the Nationwide Health Service (NHS).
One of many extra telling indicators of acute an infection is lymphadenopathy, the generally painful swelling of the lymph nodes, particularly on the neck, behind the ears, underneath the armpits, and within the higher groin. Whereas flu-like signs can final wherever from just a few days to a number of weeks, lymphadenopathy can persist for months and even years and should enhance solely after the beginning of HIV remedy.
After the acute stage of HIV an infection, signs could not reappear for a number of years, however the virus remains to be energetic and inflicting harm if left untreated, per the NHS. That’s the reason it’s essential to see a healthcare supplier as quickly as potential when you suspect you’ve gotten HIV.
9. Do HIV Signs Differ in Girls and Males?
The HIV signs in women and men don’t differ very a lot. Nonetheless, ladies with HIV might be vulnerable to different infections that will trigger signs within the genital tract, together with bacterial vaginosis and candidiasis, a standard fungal an infection that may manifest as a vaginal yeast an infection. (Oral thrush, a fungal an infection, can seem in each ladies and men.)
Girls with HIV even have an elevated threat for recurrent and hard-to-treat pelvic inflammatory illness (PID) and may expertise irregular durations, cramping, and strange discharge.
Within the later phases of HIV, ladies who even have HPV usually tend to have an elevated threat of cervical most cancers; homosexual and bisexual males with HPV usually tend to develop anal most cancers.
However past these variations, the illness varies extra by the person than by intercourse. Different elements, like genetics, age, remedy historical past, and life-style habits resembling smoking, weight loss plan, and train additionally play a task.
10. How Lengthy Can I Wait Earlier than Beginning Therapy?
Ideally, you shouldn’t wait to start out remedy. Previously, medical doctors would delay remedy till an individual’s CD4 rely fell under 500 — largely due to considerations in regards to the long-term results of HIV remedy and the untimely improvement of a drug-resistant virus — however that’s not the case.
“Immediately, issues are totally different,” says Linda-Gail Bekker, PhD, an infectious illness specialist and deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre on the College of Cape City in South Africa. “Newer-generation medicine have overcome many of those considerations. Furthermore, if [treated] correctly, an individual with HIV can now anticipate to get pleasure from near-normal life expectancy.”
The main target, due to this fact, is not simply on life extension; it’s on preserving high quality of life. Analysis funded by the Nationwide Institutes of Health confirmed that early HIV remedy (began at CD4 counts above 500) lowered the chance of significant sickness by 53 p.c in contrast with delayed remedy.
That’s the reason the U.S. Division of Health and Human Providers now recommends that HIV remedy start on the time of analysis.
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