A disease that is not only fatal to the human body, but also to ones’ social status. The probability that you are going to be shunned from society if you are known to have this condition is close to one or one itself. Children and adults are treated the same way, stared upon with contempt and fear. So the question that really needs to be addressed here: How much do we really know about this disease?
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the immune system, destroying or impairing their function. As the infection progresses, the immune system becomes weaker, and the person becomes more susceptible to infections. The most advanced stage of HIV infection is Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It can take 10-15 years for an HIV-infected person to develop AIDS.
HIV is most commonly spread through unprotected sexual intercourse (anal or vaginal) or oral sex with an infected person, sharing of infected needles or other sharp objects, transfusion of contaminated blood. It may also be transmitted between a mother and her infant during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.
Not all cases of HIV/AIDS infections are due to immoral activities. Transfusion of contaminated blood is major contributing factor. In 1999, the transmission of HIV, in India, through blood transfusion was 6.07%, in 2006 1.96%, and in 2007 1.1% [NACO].
You CANNOT get AIDS by sitting next to an infecting person or talking to him/her. HIV is unable to reproduce outside a living host, except under strictly controlled laboratory conditions. Mere sneezing, coughing or sharing of glasses or cutlery won’t spread the infection.
To become infected with HIV you must get a sufficient quantity of the virus into your body. Saliva does contain HIV, but the virus is only present in very small quantities and as such cannot cause HIV infection. Unless both partners have large open sores in their mouths, or severely bleeding gums, there is no transmission risk, except from mouth-to-mouth kissing. HIV can neither be spread through insect bites.
Prevention and Cure
Currently there is no cure for HIV/AIDS. But with good and continued adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART), the progression of HIV in the body can be slowed to a near halt.
Antiretroviral drugs are used in the treatment and prevention of HIV infection. They fight HIV by stopping or interfering with the reproduction of the virus in the body.
HIV transmission can be prevented during pregnancy, labour and delivery with the help of modern drugs. The transmission risk can be brought down to 2%.
Recent studies suggest that male circumcision can reduce the risk of acquiring HIV through sex. However, it is not 100% effective, and circumcised men can get infected if the wounds have not properly healed after surgery. Additionally, HIV-positive circumcised men can infect their sexual partners.
According to estimates by WHO and UNAIDS, 33.4 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2008. That same year, some 2.7 million people became newly infected, and 2.0 million died of AIDS, including 280 000 children. Two thirds of HIV infections are in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2007, in India, the no. of people living with HIV is between 1.8-2.9 million, with an estimated adult HIV prevalence of 0.34% (0.25 %-0.43 %), i.e. 0.34 per one lakh.
HIV in India
It is thought that HIV has spread among the general population in India because the epidemic has followed what is known as the 'type 4' pattern. This is where new infections occur first among the most vulnerable populations (such as injecting drug users, homosexuals and female sex workers), then spread to 'bridge' populations (clients of sex workers and sexual partners of drug users and homosexuals) and then finally enter the general population.
The 2009 annual report of NACO indicates a mixed response in HIV infection in the country, with increase in some areas and decrease in others.
As the HIV Prevalence among the high risk groups (HRG) is very high compared to that among the general population, India continues to be in the category of concentrated epidemic. The sexual mode continues to be the major mode of transmission, though transmission through injecting drug use and Men having Sex with Men are on the rise in many new pockets. The annual HIV sentinel surveillance covered 1,215 sites in 2008-09.
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