50 Facts on
HIV/AIDS
Dr KK Aggarwal
National President IMA
1.
AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV), which damages the immune system, lowering the resistance of the
body to fight off infections.
2.
AIDS is the advanced stage (stage 4) of HIV
infection.
3.
Progression from HIV infection to AIDS, if
untreated, may take 8-10 years. In young children, it usually develops much
faster.
4.
HIV-positive people may remain asymptomatic but
can still pass on the virus to others.
5.
78 million (69.5 million–87.6 million) people
have become infected with HIV since the start of the epidemic (end 2015).
6.
35 million (29.6 million–40.8 million) people
have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic (end
2015).
7.
36.7 million (34.0 million–39.8 million) people
globally were living with HIV (end 2015).
8.
1.1 million (940 000–1.3 million) people died
from AIDS-related illnesses (end 2015).
9.
2.1 million (1.8 million–2.4 million) people
became newly infected with HIV (end 2015).
10.
18.2 million (16.1 million–19.0 million) people
were accessing antiretroviral therapy (June 2016)
11.
People with HIV are at risk of developing
active TB disease.
12.
Transmission of HIV/AIDS can be prevented.
13.
HIV spreads through unprotected sex with an
HIV–positive person.
14.
HIV spreads through transfusions of unscreened
(HIV–positive) blood.
15.
HIV can spread from an infected woman to her
child during pregnancy and childbirth.
16.
HIV infection can be passed from a mother to
her child through breastfeeding.
17.
HIV spreads by unsterilized infected needles or
syringes, especially those used for injecting drugs.
18.
Used infected razor blades, knives or tools
that cut or pierce the skin also carry some risk of spreading HIV.
19.
Touching, hugging, shaking hands, coughing and
sneezing will not spread the virus.
20.
HIV/AIDS cannot be transmitted through toilet
seats, telephones, plates, glasses, eating utensils, towels, bed linen,
swimming pools or public baths.
21.
Up to 70 % of partners of
people with HIV are also HIV positive.
22.
Practicing safe sexual behaviors such as using
condoms prevents HIV transmission.
23.
All pregnant mothers should get HIV test done.
24.
A blood test is the most accurate way to tell
if someone is infected with HIV.
25.
Most tests for HIV/AIDS check for the presence
of antibodies to the virus.
26.
If the result of an HIV/AIDS test is negative,
this means the person tested is not infected or it is too early to detect the
virus.
27.
Infection may not be detected up to the first
few weeks to few months.
28.
Even if the first test is negative, the test
should be repeated 6 months after any possible exposure to HIV infection.
29.
The time period when an infected person does
not test as HIV positive is called ‘window period’.
30.
All people, including children, are at risk for
HIV/AIDS, including occupational risk.
31.
People who have a sexually transmitted
infection (STI) are at greater risk of getting HIV and of spreading HIV to
others.
32.
Persons suffering from STIs have a 5–10 times
higher risk of becoming infected with HIV if they have unprotected sexual
intercourse with an HIV–infected person.
33.
If both partners are not treated for a STI,
they will continue infecting each other with the sexually transmitted
infection.
34.
The more sex partners people have, the greater
the risk that one of them will have HIV/AIDS and pass it on.
35.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) should be started
at the earliest to prevent HIV transmission to sexual or drug using partner/s
or from the mother to the infant during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
36.
People with STIs should seek prompt treatment
and avoid sexual intercourse or practice safe sex.
37.
Men with HIV are less likely to
be diagnosed and put on ART and are more likely to die of HIV-related causes
than women.
38.
Internal secretions, which can harbor HIV
virus, are blood (including menstrual blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast
milk, peritoneal fluid, brain fluid, pleural lung fluid, pericardial heart
fluid etc. These secretions, when mixed with secretions of another person
infected with HIV transmit HIV.
39.
External secretions, which do not harbor the
HIV virus are saliva, tear, sweat, urine and feces. The mixing of these
secretions with secretions of an HIV-positive person does not transmit HIV.
40.
HIV does not spread by mosquitoes or other
insects.
41.
HIV counseling and testing can help in the
early detection of HIV infection, to get the support services for those who are
infected.
42.
Counseling helps to manage other infectious
diseases they might have, and learn about living with HIV/AIDS and how to avoid
infecting others.
43.
Counseling and testing can also help those not
infected to remain uninfected through education about safer sex.
44.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis with
tenofovir-emtricitabine in high risk patients and who are committed to
medication adherence and close follow-up can reduce the risk of HIV infection
by 48 to 75%.
45.
Drinking alcohol or taking drugs interferes
with judgment. Even those who understand the risks of AIDS and the importance
of safer sex may become careless after drinking or using drugs.
46.
Young people need to be educated that there is
no vaccination and no cure for HIV/AIDS.
47.
WHO recommends innovative HIV-self-testing and
partner notification approaches to increase HIV testing services among
undiagnosed people.
48.
Prevention is the only protection against
HIV/AIDS.
49.
ABC for safe sex: Abstain, Be faithful to your
partner and if you cannot, use Condoms.
50.
90–90–90 is a treatment target to help end the
AIDS epidemic. By 2020, 90%
of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status; 90% of all people
with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy
and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral
suppression.
