World AIDS Day was first conceived in August 1987 by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, two young journalists conducting public awareness campaigns on the invisible enemy that endangered public health in the United States. Bunn and Netter passed on their idea to the director of the Global HIV / AIDS Program, the forerunner AAIDS, Dr. Jonathan Mann.
Dr. Mann liked the concept so much that he approved it and recommended that the first World HIV / AIDS Day be celebrated on December 1, 1988, as it was shortly after the presidential election and before Christmas. capturing public attention.
World AIDS Day is a good opportunity to prevent HIV infection, develop tolerant and non-discriminatory attitudes towards infected people and ensure optimal treatment, as well as social support. According to statistics, approximately 38 million people worldwide are living with HIV.
Understanding the terms: what is HIV? what is AIDS
HIV, short for human immunodeficiency virus it is a virus that attacks and destroys the immune system, and the body can no longer fight pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and cancer cells. This results in fatal infections and cancers. HIV infection means the presence of the virus in the body, and progression over time without proper medication triggers AIDS.
PAGE, short for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome it is the final period of HIV infection, when the immune system is severely affected by the virus and the number of T-CD4 cells decreases greatly. As a result, the body can no longer cope with infections and eventually gives up.
What are the risk factors for HIV?
- Use of non-sterile tools during operations, tattoos, etc.
- Injecting drug use
- Unprotected sexual intercourse
- Children born to HIV-infected mothers
- Transfusions with infected blood
How is HIV infection transmitted?
The transmission of HIV infection is mainly achieved through the following three ways:
- Through blood: transfusions of infected blood and blood products, transplantation of biological tissues and infected organs, syringes, needles contaminated with blood, poorly processed medical instruments
- Sexual, through unprotected sexual contact with an infected person
- Maternal-fetal, from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth and lactation
How is HIV not transmitted?
It is very important to know that HIV is not transmitted:
- by air;
- by food or water;
- by handshakes or hugs;
- by kissing, coughing, sneezing;
- by means of animals or by insect bites.
There is no risk of infection:
- living together;
- contacts at work or studies;
- public travel by public transport;
- joint use of swimming pool, sauna, bath, toilet, sports and health recovery;
- shared use of kitchen utensils and bed linen.
Necessary treatment for HIV / AIDS
From the first cases of HIV infection until today, many drugs have been discovered that can fight the virus, but no effective treatment to completely cure it.
The specific treatment only slows the progression of the infection in the body and prolongs the lifespan until the onset of AIDS.
It is called antiretroviral (ARV) and exerts its action directly on the virus, preventing its multiplication, thus allowing the body to restore the immune system.
ARV treatment helps maintain optimal health by reducing the amount of HIV in the blood and genital secretions. Because viral load is the only risk factor for all modes of HIV transmission, the use of ARV decreases the risk of HIV being transmitted from one person to another.
Studies have shown that antiretroviral therapy reduces the risk of sexual transmission of HIV, especially in sero-discordant couples, but also from mother to fetus.
Prevention methods
- Always use a condom over time
- sexual intercourse;
- If in doubt, get your HIV test, ideally with your partner;
- Avoid having too many sexual partners;
- Avoid unprotected sexual contact with partners whose health you do not know;
- Always use only your own hygiene products, such as a razor or toothbrush;
- Avoid contact with fluids (blood, semen, vaginal secretions) from strangers;
- If you are injecting medicine, always use sterile needles
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