HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus, which can be transmitted through unprotected sexual contact with a person infected with this virus, or through sharing needles or passing it from mother to baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Infection with this virus can cause initial symptoms such as excessive tiredness, muscle, head or throat pain, night sweats or bloating, for example, in addition to being able to progress to AIDS, called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, caused by the destruction of the immune system. by the HIV virus.
The treatment of HIV infection is carried out by an infectious disease specialist with the use of antiretroviral drugs, to prevent the virus from multiplying, reduce the viral load and prevent the development of AIDS.
Symptoms of HIV and AIDS
The main symptoms of HIV infection are:
- Tiredness;
- Headache or sore throat;
- Muscle or joint pain;
- Night sweats;
- Diarrhea;
- Inguas;
- Skin rash;
- Low fever.
These symptoms may appear in initial HIV infection, called acute retroviral syndrome. Know how to identify all the symptoms of HIV infection.
In the case of AIDS, the symptoms are more intense and appear when the immune system is already very weakened by HIV, which favors the emergence of infections or opportunistic diseases, such as herpes, candidiasis, toxoplasmosis, Kaposi’s sarcoma or hepatitis, for example. example. See the main symptoms of AIDS.
Time to feel the first symptoms of HIV
Generally, the first symptoms of HIV infection appear 2 to 4 weeks after exposure to the virus, and may last for a few days or up to 10 months.
Read too: Main symptoms of HIV in babies
How long can HIV stay hidden?
After the initial acute symptoms, the HIV virus can remain hidden for around 8 to 20 years, replicating silently, without generating any symptoms.
However, although it may not cause symptoms in some people, the virus can be transmitted to others.
What is the difference between AIDS and HIV?
Both HIV infection and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) are caused by the human immunodeficiency virus.
However, having HIV infection does not mean that you have AIDS, as the person can be a carrier of the HIV virus, but be undergoing treatment and be considered healthy.
AIDS occurs when the HIV virus causes damage to the immune system, making it less capable of fighting infections and/or diseases.
Unlike HIV, AIDS is not transmissible. However, a person with AIDS can also pass the HIV virus to any healthy person, which, after a few years, can end up causing AIDS.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of HIV infection is made by an infectious disease specialist or general practitioner through the assessment of symptoms, as well as when they appear, and a history of risk behavior.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor can perform a rapid HIV test and/or order blood or saliva tests to check the presence of antibodies, antigens or RNA of the virus in the body, as well as the type of HIV virus. Check out the main HIV tests.
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These tests are available in health centers, clinics, hospitals and laboratories, and can be carried out free of charge by the SUS, in testing centers spread across the country.
The best time to take an HIV test is between 40 and 60 days after the risk behavior, that is, after the moment when the person thinks they may have been infected, because if the test is done before these 40 days, Your result may be false negative due to the HIV immunological window.
What to do in case of suspicion
If you suspect that you have contracted HIV, it is very important to go to the doctor to determine when to take the test.
In addition, the doctor may recommend post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), with the use of antiretroviral drugs, which must be started within the first 72 hours after exposure to the HIV virus, to prevent its multiplication in the body and its entry into cells. . Find out how post-exposure prophylaxis is carried out.
Types of HIV
The main types of HIV are:
- HIV-1: is the most common type that causes infection, being responsible for around 95% of HIV infections in the world, having different subtypes, such as HIV-1 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and O;
- HIV-2: It is most common in West Africa, but can also occur in other countries, such as Brazil or Portugal, for example, also having different subtypes, such as HIV-2 A, B, C, D, and E.
These viruses replicate in different ways over time, and respond differently to antiretroviral treatment. See the main differences between HIV 1 and HIV 2.
Therefore, it is important to identify the type and subtype of HIV and its viral load through a blood test, in order to carry out individualized treatment, since the dose of antiretroviral medication is not exactly the same for everyone infected.
How do you get HIV
The HIV virus can be transmitted through contact with blood or bodily fluids, such as breast milk, vaginal secretions and semen, from a person infected with the virus:
Thus, the main forms of transmission are:
- Vaginal, oral and/or anal sexual intercourse without the use of a condom with an HIV-infected person;
- Sharing of syringes contaminated by HIV;
- During pregnancy or breastfeeding;
- Direct contact with blood or body fluids from an HIV-infected person.
- Accidents with sharp objects such as knives, scissors, scalpels, razors or nail pliers contaminated by HIV.
Additionally, receiving a blood transfusion was another way of transmitting HIV. However, currently all blood is tested for HIV-1 and HIV-2, and if the presence of the virus is detected, the blood is discarded.
Thus, all donated blood is safe and HIV-free, no longer a source of contamination.
Risk factors for transmission
Factors that increase the risk of transmission are HIV-infected people with a high viral load, AIDS itself, receptive anal sex or sex during menstruation.
Additionally, having sexually transmitted infections such as chancroid, syphilis or untreated genital herpes also increases the risk of HIV infection.
It is important to highlight that the virus is not transmitted through hugs, kisses and/or touching HIV-positive people.
How the treatment is carried out
The treatment of HIV and AIDS must be carried out under the guidance of an infectious disease specialist with the use of a cocktail of antiretroviral drugs, such as dolutegravir, lamivudine or efavirenz, for example, to reduce the multiplication of the virus and reduce the viral load.
This type of treatment, called antiretroviral therapy, is provided free of charge by the SUS and must be done for life, with doses indicated by the infectious disease specialist and antiretroviral combinations according to the type of HIV virus. Understand how HIV and AIDS are treated.
During treatment, the doctor must order periodic tests, such as complete blood count, evaluation of the liver and kidneys, tests for syphilis, hepatitis B and C, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, chest X-ray, tuberculosis test annually, pap smear, immunological profile and load viral.
Read too: Diet for HIV and AIDS: what to eat and what to avoid
How to prevent HIV transmission
To protect yourself from becoming infected with HIV, and consequently not developing AIDS, it is recommended:
- Use male or female condoms in all sexual contact, whether during caresses or vaginal, anal or oral penetration;
- Do not share used syringes;
- Avoid contact with another person’s blood or secretions, which may be contaminated;
- Identify and treat any sexually transmitted diseases because they increase the risk of contamination with the HIV virus.
HIV+ people must also take these precautions to avoid being infected with another type of HIV virus, because there are different subtypes of viruses, which can make it difficult to control the viral load, even when undergoing treatment.
In some cases, especially in people at increased risk of coming into contact with the virus, the infectious disease specialist may recommend pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). See what PrEP is and how it is done.
Because HIV and AIDS have no cure
HIV and AIDS cannot be cured because the immune system is not capable of fighting the virus and eliminating it from the body.
Furthermore, the HIV virus replicates in different ways and therefore medications that seem to be able to stop its replication quickly cease to be effective, because the virus adapts within the body itself and can replicate in another way.
There is a lot of research that is looking for a way to definitively eliminate the virus, but to date there is only one report of a cure for AIDS, but with so many particularities that it is impossible to replicate the same treatment for all affected people.
An HIV vaccine could also be a solution, however, its formula has not yet been found.
Read too: HIV vaccine: does it exist?
