HIV

HIV

HIV

HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a dangerous virus that causes AIDS - Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). It has been a major problem which has taken the lives of thousands of people across the globe. An analysis on the treatments, preventions and risk factors of HIV can help people to effectively deal with this problem.

The disease affects the human immune system, which makes people much more susceptible to infections and diseases. This vulnerability gets worse as the disease progresses. HIV is mainly found in the human body fluids of a person who is infected. These fluids might include the semen, blood, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. The disease can pass from one person to other via blood-to-blood transfer or sexual contact. Additionally, pregnant women who are infected by HIV can transfer the disease to their children (newborn babies) in the pregnancy period, or while delivering the baby, and through the phase of breast-feeding. In the current scenario, HIV is mainly transmitted through sexual contact. People suffering with the problem of HIV develop AIDS which leads to the development of many other dangerous infections. A patient suffering with AIDS could lead to death. This disease was discovered in the 1980s. Currently, there is no cure or solution for HIV (Mayer & Pizer, 2009).

The treatments have the capability to slow down the processes of the disease, and can help in expanding the life of a patient. This helps them in living relatively a better and healthy life (Stolley & Glass, 2009). HIV can be diagnosed in the early stage, which allows the effected patients to use preventive drugs. These medications can slow down the speed at which the disease replicates, creating a delay in the beginning of AIDS. In 1980s, when HIV was discovered, and the disease began, patients suffering with this disease had no chance to live more than a few years. The reason was that in that time, there was the lack of technology and research in comparison to the current scenario due to which there were no means to diagnose the diseases effectively. In the current scenario, technology and research has assisted the health care industry in bringing improvements in the process for diagnosing HIV (Van de Val et al, 2000).

Various anti-retroviral drugs have been produced, also referred to as ARVs, and accepted as a standard by the “Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to deal with the HIV disease. These medications do not provide patients with the complete cure of HIV, but they help in reducing the intensity of the virus to very low levels. So far there has been no medicine produced or discovered by the health care industry that has managed to provide with the complete cure of HIV. These medications help the patients suffering with HIV to lead a longer life in comparison to the one they lead without the medications. Yet, the patients of HIV can still pass on the disease and have to constantly take antiretroviral drugs for maintaining their ...