Materials: What is HIV?

About HIV/AIDS

At present a tendency of epidemic development is dangerous. First of all epidemic increases because the majority of us do not think that HIV/AIDS touches every person and do not take measures for protecting himself and relatives, and support PLWHA.

Today HIV epidemic in our country touches all social layers of population and concerns every person, as it may directly touch you, your partner, relative, friend, acquaintance, classmate or colleagues.

Each of us can make a choice for getting established information about HIV- today knowledge is the only vaccine against virus. Knowledge and understanding of the main base things about HIV, its prophylactics and treatment will give the opportunity beginning from us, to make decisions which will assist to reduction of epidemic increase temps and forming of tolerant behavior to the PLWHA. Knowledge and understanding of several facts can save thousands and millions lives.

We hope that, having familiarized with the information, presented on our resource, you can make reasoned decision how you can protect yourself and your relatives, and also help people whom HIV directly touched.

What is HIV?

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - virus, which affect the immune system of man, demolishing T-lymphocytes-cells, which are called to help the organism from infections.

To be HIV-infected and to be ill with AIDS-it is not the same thing. A term HIV-infection means, that there are antibodies to virus in a man organism. In spite of that this is a threatening condition to life, many HIV-infected are not ill during the years. However they can be the sources of virus for other people. In the course of time HIV demolish the immune system, making the organism more vulnerable for any diseases.

The diagnose of AIDS is making to HIV-infected, when his immune system is so weak that cells level, resisting to the infection (T-helpers), reduces lower than 200, or when one or more opportunistic infections (OI) are developing in the patient. Opportunistic infections-are the infections on the background of the reduced immunity. They can be fatal.

HIV virus can exist only several minutes out of its usual environment. However HIV can exist several days in a syringe or needle. That is why it is necessary to use sterile disposable syringes during any injections, because once used by the other man they can contain lively virus of immunodeficiency.

Is there a connection between HIV/AIDS and other infected diseases?

People, who have the infections, transmitted by sexual way (STI), are more risked to be infected with HIV. It is necessary to remember that venereal diseases, accompanied with emerging of open wound (for example, herpes), are the high factors of risk. STIs, proceeding in latent form, also increase a risk of HIV infection.

If a virus of immunodeficiency would not be treated, then the organism remains unprotected from other infection diseases, such as tuberculosis. According to data of World Health Organization (WHO), about 50 % PLWHA in Azerbaijan are ill with tuberculosis. This disease is a main reason of death of AIDS patients: about one third of AIDS patients die from tuberculosis. An active form of tuberculosis can appear in any moment of HIV-infection proceeding, however tuberculosis develops on average in a 6-7 years after HIV infection.

When contaminations happen?

Contamination with HIV-infection can happen during getting of blood, sperm, vaginal secretion of infected man blood into the blood of uninfected man: or directly through mucous tunics. Contamination of child from mother is possible during the pregnancy (antenatal), during the delivery or breast feeding. But up to now there were no registered cases during the contact with saliva, lachrymal fluid or during the daily contacts, including handshake or embraces.

Risk of HIV contamination is lacking:

- during the handshake or other daily contact (including embraces)

- in joint usage of life objects

- in joint usage of office objects (including telephone, computer, pencils/pens)

- in cough or sneezing

- in sauna or swimming pool

- in stings

- in contact with domestic animals

- during going in for sport

- through pan sitting

- through the bed-clothes

Correlation of different ways transmission

All registered cases of HIV-infection in the world assign on the ways of contamination by the following way:

1. Sexual contact – 70-80 %;

2. Injected drugs- 5-10 %;

3. From pregnant or feeding mother to a child -5-10 %/

4. Infected blood transfusion-3-5%;

5. Different ways of contamination prevail in different countries and regions (MSM, heterosexual, injection drugs). In Azerbaijan according to data of Republic AIDS Center in 1996-2007 prevailed a way of contamination through injection drugs introduction (58,93 from all known cases).

Why intravenous introduction of drugs may lead to the HIV contamination?

In any injection a blood at first gets into needle or syringe. Repeated usage of needle or syringe by the other user of drugs may lead to that the healthy man can be contaminated through the rest of blood of the HIV patient.

Contaminated blood can get into the introductory drug preparations:

- By means of contaminated syringes usage during preparation of drugs;

- In frequent usage of water;

- In frequent usage of bottle lids, spoons and other objects for drugs preparation (for example, “spoons” for dilution of drug in the water and heating of drug mixture);

- In frequent usage of cotton pellets or cigarette filters for filtration of parts, which are may remained in the needle;

- “Street traders” may sell used and contaminated HIV syringes, setting it up as a sterile. That is why you should bye syringes in the chemist’s shops.

What increases the contamination risk?

Contamination risk of both partners increases in concomitant venereal diseases (STD).

Diseases, transmitting by sexual way, are fairly called “Virus gates”, as they bring on to the ulcers or inflammation of genital organs. But for all that a large quantity of lymphocytes, mainly those which serve as a target for HIV (T-lymphocytes) get into to the surface of the. Inflammation also brings on the changes in cells membrane, what increases a risk of virus getting in.

Probability of woman contamination from man during a sexual contact is approximately higher in three times than a man from woman.

During unprotected sexual act a large quantity of virus, contained in the man’s seminal fluid can get into the woman organism. Site of surface, through which a virus can get into, is higher in woman (mucosal tunic of vagina). Besides, in seminal fluid of HIV is contained in more concentration, than in vagina secretion. A risk for woman increases during STD, wounds or inflammations, in menstruations, and also in rupture of virginal membrane.

A contamination risk of man and woman increases if a partner has cervical erosion.

Woman’s cervical erosion serves as for virus. At the same time, during cervical erosion happens the cells exfoliation, contained virus, which increases a risk of man contamination.

A contamination risk during the anal contact is too much higher, than in vaginal, as the probability of anus mucosal tunic and rectum traumas is high, what creates the “sites of entry” for infection.

How to reduce the contamination risk?

- Pass the examination on HIV and ask your partner to do he same.

- Use a condom during the vaginal, anal or oral sex. You can also use special condoms for oral sex.

- Do not allow the application of unsterile device in any kinds of medical manipulations. Insist on use of sterile disposable syringe.

- If you have a positive HIV-status and you are a pregnant, you should apply to physician to receive a special treatment. There are ways which are substantially reduce a risk of so called “Vertical transmission” of HIV-infection from mother to a child during the pregnancy and delivery.

Transmission of HIV-infection from mother to a child

Therapy

HIV-positive mothers can reduce a risk of HIV-infection transmission to a child, if they:

- Take antiretroviral medicaments during the pregnancy

- Shorten delivery time

- Do not nurse a child

Cesarean section

A combined antiretroviral therapy reduces substantially the infection transmission from mother to amniotic fluid child (from 25 % to 1 %). Many HIV-positive mothers interest, can a Cesarean section protect a child from infection.

- It can. Systematic operations of Cesarean section are making before the beginning of delivery before the amniotic fluid came off, (fetal sac in which a child is situated). In reduce a probability of child contact with blood of mother. (It is necessary to know that Cesarean section after the amniotic fluids are came off they do not reduce a risk of infection transmission). As a cesarean section requires a surgical operation, such operation is mated with a certain risk. Women, who are made a Cesarean section, are more exposed to a risk of contamination by infections, than women who give birth by the natural way. However it should be considered that thereupon the Cesarean section is making on 38 month of pregnancy with the aim of preventing the HIV infection transmission, there is always a probability that a child can be prematurely born.