HYDERABAD: As World AIDS Day approaches on December 1, it’s a crucial time to honour those we’ve lost and support those living with HIV. Dr M Govardhan, internal medicine consultant at CARE Hospitals, sheds light on HIV, its treatment, prevention, and the strides made in understanding this virus.
HIV, a virus targeting the immune system, leads to AIDS, a potentially fatal condition. Understanding its transmission between individuals is pivotal. While primarily sexually transmitted, HIV can also spread through the exchange of bodily fluids like semen, blood, breast milk, or vaginal secretions.
Unprotected sexual encounters account for the majority of cases, impacting both heterosexual and homosexual partners. The risk varies, with a higher likelihood during anal intercourse. Additionally, blood transmission occurs among intravenous drug users, haemophiliacs, and recipients of contaminated blood transfusions or needles. Mother-to-child transmission can occur during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
Symptoms of HIV vary, often starting with flu-like symptoms that might disappear, leading to a dormant phase lasting years. Individuals may appear and feel healthy for a decade, underscoring the need for regular testing to know one’s status.
Presently, there’s no approved vaccine or cure for HIV/AIDS. Despite advancements in vaccine research, gaps persist in essential scientific knowledge needed for an effective vaccine. Slow progress results from financial limitations and insufficient coordination among researchers. Without action, millions could be infected and succumb to HIV/AIDS before an effective vaccine reaches developing countries.
Prevention remains paramount. Protective measures such as PrEP (preexposure prophylaxis) and TasP (treatment-as-prevention) play crucial roles in reducing HIV transmission. PrEP, combining drugs like Truvada and Descovy, significantly reduces the risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection, and the FDA recently approved injectable PrEP. TasP involves HIV-positive individuals using medication and regular checkups to prevent transmission.
Quick action is vital if exposed to HIV, including post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) within 72 hours. Consistent condom use, informing sexual partners of one’s HIV status, using clean needles for drug injection, seeking help for drug use, immediate medical care during pregnancy, and considering male circumcision all contribute to reducing infection risks.
In conclusion, while there’s no cure for HIV/AIDS, advancements in prevention and medicine offer hope. Ongoing research and community education foster a more informed and compassionate global approach in fighting this virus.