The destructive power of AIDS to human health is feared by many. Since the first AIDS case was discovered in 1981, AIDS has become one of the three major threats to human life and health.
However, it is undeniable that there are also many misunderstandings in the treatment of AIDS. Today, How to be health will help you correctly understand AIDS.
The Nine misunderstandings of AIDS.
Misconception one: infected with HIV will become AIDS patients.
In many people’s perception, once infected with HIV, this person will become AIDS patients, in fact, is not the case.
HIV refers to HIV, while AIDS (AIDS) refers to the final stage of HIV infection. HIV infection in the human body 2-10 years or more after the devastating destruction of the immune system, will develop into AIDS, the emergence of infection, cancer and other signs.
Myth 2: daily contact with HIV virus.
In our daily lives, many people worry that they will be unknowingly infected with HIV.
In fact, the transmission of AIDS only three ways, that is, sexually transmitted, blood-borne, mother-to-child transmission.
There is evidence that HIV is not transmitted through contact, tears, sweat or saliva.
As a result, the following routes do not cause HIV infection:
- Breathing the same air as HIV positive patients;
- Contact toilet or doorknob after HIV positive patient;
- Hugging, kissing or shaking hands with HIV carriers;
- Sharing tableware with HIV carriers;
- Share fitness equipment in a gym.
Myth 3: there must be symptoms after infection with HIV.
It is well known that infection with HIV can lead to symptoms such as low fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and weakness in the limbs.
In fact, not everyone is infected with the virus must have symptoms.
Infected with HIV virus, there may be a long period of asymptomatic infection, this period can last about 2 to 10 years, there is no discomfort during this period, and although the virus carriers have been infected and can even infect others. But before they get sick, they can live like normal people for years or even decades.
Myth 4: you’ll die soon after you’re infected with HIV.
The reason why people are so afraid of AIDS, to a large extent, due to its high mortality rate.
However, the incubation period of different HIV-infected people is not the same, some will come on in just a few months, while some people can carry HIV live for decades, and even achieve life expectancy.
To be exact, the untreated death rate of AIDS is 100%, but the current anti-viral treatment has greatly reduced the death rate of AIDS, extended the lives of patients.
Myth 5: homosexuality is bound to lead to AIDS.
As many people living with AIDS are homosexual groups, leading people to compare homosexuality and AIDS.
Objectively speaking, AIDS is indeed more prevalent in some gay men, the reason is that male sex is more likely to lead to mucosal damage and the spread of the virus.
But homosexuality itself and the spread of AIDS is not related to homosexuality for the excessive fear and exclusion will instead increase the concealment of homosexuals and increase the difficulty of prevention and treatment of AIDS.
Myth 6: mosquito bites can infect HIV.
The bites of mosquitoes or other blood-sucking insects do not infect HIV.
Studies have shown that HIV does not reproduce in mosquitoes.
When a mosquito is sucking blood, it does not inject the blood that has been sucked into the body into the bitten person. Instead, it injects saliva as a lubricant to suck the blood.
Mosquitoes do not normally bite an individual immediately after sucking blood. Instead, it takes a long time to digest the blood that is sucked into the body.
There have been no reports of HIV infection from mosquito or insect bites around the world, and studies have found no evidence that mosquito bites can transmit HIV, even in areas where there are many mosquito and AIDS cases. No mosquitoes have been found to carry AIDS.
Myth 7: if the mother is HIV positive, the child must be.
If the mother is HIV positive, the probability of transmission from mother to child is 25 per cent.
Mother to child transmission is mainly perinatal transmission, children through the birth canal may be through friction, contact with amniotic fluid and blood, but also through breastfeeding transmission.
The way to avoid this is, first, not to give the baby breast milk, second, to give birth by caesarean section, and third, to take antiviral drugs, so that the virus in the mother’s blood can be reduced to the minimum, and the virus in the birth canal can be reduced from 25 percent to 2 percent.
Myth 8: condoms can’t stop HIV.
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that male latex condoms provide more than 85 per cent protection against the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Regular manufacturers of condoms, can effectively isolate the virus. But the safest thing to do is to avoid high-risk sex such as multiple sexual partners and one-night stands.
Myth 9: online shopping strips, blood donation can detect HIV.
Many of the test strips bought online do not have quality assurance, can not fully ensure the accuracy of the inspection.
Donating blood to test for HIV is also a highly irresponsible act.
At present, many areas of the CDC can provide free HIV testing, testing results are limited to assume the work of the hospital staff know, do not worry about personal information was leaked.
Experts suggest that the following nine groups of people should be tested for AIDS in a timely manner.
- Sexually active people, regardless of age, are recommended to be tested for HIV every year.
- For sexually active people with multiple partners who have unsafe sex, testing is recommended at least once every three months.
- Prostitution and whoring personnel.
- Men who have sex with men, especially when condoms are not used.
- Persons receiving blood transfusions or blood products.
- Antenatal care and hospital deliveries.
- Needle users.
- Persons who have tested positive for tuberculosis.
- Persons who have tested positive for sexually transmitted diseases
How to prevent AIDS effectively?
With regard to the three routes of transmission of AIDS, the following preventive measures can be taken:
1. Prevention of sexually transmitted infections:
Compliance with sexual ethics, fixed sexual partners, safe sex is an effective measure to prevent the spread of AIDS through sexual channels. The correct use of qualified condoms can reduce the risk of HIV infection.
Get venereal disease or suspect to have venereal disease to answer as early as possible to appoint medical establishment or regular hospital check, cure.
2. Prevention of blood-borne transmission:
Stay away from drugs and resist drugs; do not accept blood, blood products and organs that have not been tested for HIV antibodies; do not use syringes that have not been strictly sterilized; do not share syringes and razors with others; Vigorously promote the use of disposable syringes and other safe injection measures.
3. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission:
HIV-infected women to avoid pregnancy; once pregnant under the guidance of doctors to consider whether to terminate pregnancy; choose to continue pregnancy should take anti-viral drug intervention and cesarean delivery measures such as interruption of transmission. Breast-feeding of newborns should be avoided after delivery.
By the end of 2016, China had reported a total of 665000 surviving AIDS infections and patients and 209000 deaths. In 2016, 124000 people were newly reported infected and infected, of whom 94.7 percent were sexually transmitted.
At present, sexual transmission has become the main mode of AIDS epidemic.
To deal with this “enemy of the whole world” requires the concerted efforts of patients, doctors, governments, enterprises, and other sectors to control the epidemic at a low level, not just the medical profession.
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