“Oh Lord! His lab results have come positive…He has HIV…Means he is suffering from AIDS!”

Being HIV positive is always considered to be synonymous with AIDS. But actually both of them are different yet related. HIV positive means a person is infected with Human immunodeficiency virus. And AIDS is a condition developed in an HIV patient over the years, when on not treated effectively, the immune system is weakened that makes the body susceptible to life threatening opportunistic infections like tuberculosis.

Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. And so, the four major routes of transmission are unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy or at the time of birth. Screening of blood products for HIV has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products.

The knowledge on HIV amongst people is limited and this contributes to various misconceptions about HIV and AIDS. People consider HIV and AIDS interchangeably though they are not the same. HIV damages the immune system, which if not treated will eventually deteriorate the immune system so much that the person will become sick with types of infections known as opportunistic infections (OIs). The gravest opportunistic infections are called AIDS defining illnesses like cervical cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma, Tuberculosis, recurrent pneumonia, Hepatitis C virus infection, etc. When the person becomes sick with one of the AIDS defining illnesses, he or she is said to have Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). A person can be infected with HIV for years without having AIDS. For some people, it may take a long time to develop these infections and for others it takes less time. Not everyone with HIV has AIDS.

If there is anything one needs to be careful from getting infected by HIV is to avoid unsafe sex in any form. Awareness for the use of contraceptives is very important. There should be through screening for blood which is donated to be free from any infection. While donating blood, the use of sterile needles should be confirmed. Any direct contacts with the blood like during an accident or incases where the amount of bleeding is very high, should be avoided.

The HIV is passed from person to person also through body fluids, such as blood and breast milk. Therefore, it can be passed from a woman to her unborn baby during pregnancy and birth. The screening tests done in the first trimester of pregnancy are important to detect if the mother is HIV positive or negative. If in pregnancy the results come positive, then the entire pregnancy had to be strictly monitored. In cases where the mother is HIV positive, then the baby should not be breast fed but instead should be given replacement feeding (like the commercial infant formula prepared from powder and boiling water or home-modified animal milk boiled with added water, sugar and micronutrients).

HIV is now considered as a chronic manageable disease like Diabetes or Hypertension. It cannot be cured but with the help of anti retro viral drugs its progress towards AIDS can be slowed down as these medicines improve the weakened immune system of the sufferer. A proper treatment will prevent the HIV patient from developing AIDS. And providing prevention and treatment for opportunistic infections will not only helps HIV-positive people to live longer and healthier lives, but this will also help prevent TB and other transmissible opportunistic infections from spreading to others. Medical researches are carried out to develop a vaccine against this notorious virus. May be some day such vaccines will be available making the life of the infected mush less complicated.

Just to have a fear of AIDS and by isolating the infected will do no good unless we take some measures to prevent ourselves and people around us from this infection. So, help the people who are suffering from HIV infection in any small way you can, and help others by spreading awareness. That one word of awareness can save lives of many!