Heart To Heart

If you are reading this, chances are that you’ve heard about HIV/AIDS at one point through life. A lot of people believe that HIV/AIDS is a killer disease but in my own opinion, lack of adequate knowledge of the disease is more deadly than the disease itself.

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system fight off infections.  AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the stage of infection that occurs when your immune system is badly damaged and you become vulnerable to opportunistic infections. When the number of your CD4 cells falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (200 cells/mm3).

The virus is transmitted only through specific activities. Most commonly through sexual behaviors, needle or syringe use, mother to child, blood transfusions and organ replacements. HIV is spread by direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person. These fluids include blood, semen, pre seminal fluid, vaginal fluids and breast milk. These body fluids must come in contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue or be directly injected into your bloodstream for transmission to occur.  HIV does not survive long outside the human body and it cannot reproduce outside a human host. It is not spread by: Air or water, mosquitoes, saliva, tears or sweat, shaking hands, hugging or sharing of cutlery.

The symptoms of HIV vary, depending on the individual and stage of the disease: the early stage, the clinical latency stage, or AIDS (the late stage of HIV infection). Below are the symptoms that some individuals may experience in these three stages. The symptoms include: Fever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, mouth ulcers, rapid weight loss, extreme and unexplained tiredness, diarrhea that lasts for more than a week, pneumonia. So many diseases can present with the above symptoms, this means that the only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested today!

HIV/AIDS diagnosis isn’t a death sentence. During one of my hospital outstation rotations, I was privileged to meet an exceptional patient. The man has been diagnosed with the disease for over 40 years. His attitude to life in general is amazing. He exudes confidence and positivity; this made him a counselor to the other patients. Research has proven that positive living increases the life expectancy of people living with the disease. You should consider these:

·         Eat healthy foods

·         Improve your exercise habit

·         Comply with the medications

·         Quit smoking

·         Get on with your life…get that degree, achieve that dream, take that trip.

·         Take your multivitamins

Pregnancy and HIV
 With the advance in healthcare, it is very possible to give birth to an HIV negative baby if you are a positive mother. The expecting mother has to be consistent with her drugs, this makes the viral load to be in undetectable limits thereby reducing the chances of transmission. Caesarean section at the 38^th week is preferred to vaginal birth as the later exposes the baby to the infection. The baby will receive a medicine called zidovudine for 6 weeks after birth. This HIV medicine is intended to protect the baby from infection with any HIV that passed from you during childbirth. The baby will be tested several times over the course of 6 months to determine whether the baby has HIV. If testing shows that the baby does have HIV, the baby will be switched from zidovudine to ART.

Can HIV be prevented After Exposure? 

Yes. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) involves taking anti-HIV medications as soon as possible (within 3 days) after you may have been exposed to HIV to try to reduce the chance of becoming HIV positive. PEP is used by health care workers who have been exposed to HIV-infected fluids on the job or anyone who may have been exposed through unprotected sex, needle-sharing injection drug use, or sexual assault. PEP must be taken for 28 days. PEP should only be used in uncommon situations right after a potential HIV exposure, it is not intended for long-term use

What is Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)?

“PrEP” stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. PrEP is a way for people who don’t have HIV but who are at very high risk of getting it to prevent HIV infection by taking a pill every day. This is recommended for high risk individuals who are constantly in danger of being infected. PrEP does not take the place of safety precautions and must be used while observing these.