When talking about diseases, we always focus our attentions on cancers, hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes, but not many of us want to talk about AIDS/HIV. Whilst having known that these modern-day diseases have intruded human's life, one "silent" disease called AIDS/HIV has taken millions lives of housewives, children, hawkers, technicians, lawyers and people from other social status worldwide. Most people unaware that they've been infected with AIDS/HIV as they don't either check with a doctor or get themselves a medical examination done.
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Yesterday, 1st December 2008, was a World AIDS Day. It is celebrated annually on 1st of December to raise people's awareness towards AIDS/HIV. World AIDS Day is also served as a "terminal stop" for people to come togather to focus on raising awareness and highlighting the reality life with AIDS/HIV.
What is AIDS/HIV?
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HIV, or scientifically known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a type of virus that attacks the cells of living organisms by making new copies from the original "codes" (means make up the human body and replicate within those infected cells), weakening immune system (a natural defence against disease), while attacking a particular immune system cell called CD4 lymphocyte. When the immune system is weakened, it leads to chronic and progressive illness. The HIV then advances to a stage of illness called AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, causing the infected individuals vulnerable towards other infections and illnesses. As it is regarded as an opportunistic disease, it may also lead to death.
The virus is commonly transmitted via sexual contact to get into the bloodstream or it might pass through delicate mucous membranes (such as lining in the vagina, rectum or urethra if there's bleeding, sore, cut and etc.), and also via a deadly virus called HPV (more details about HPV on my previous article here). In a nutshell, HIV can be transmitted from one person to another, if one of them gets in touch with each other with the bodily fluids that have been infected with HIV.
Also read: Little Known Facts About AIDS (more pictures here).
How Does AIDS/HIV Pass On?
There's by far no test that can guarantee that anyone are free from the infection of HIV. HIV infection is extremely common and can anytime be infected by both male and female if precautionary step is not taken.
First, people who have sex at an early age or those who have many sex partners are more likely to get HIV. Either a sex partner is engaged with many partners or he or she always exchanges the sex partners with others is at high risk of infected by HIV.
Second, an individual has sexual intercourse with a HIV infected partner.
Third, a virus is passed on to an unborn baby by an infected mother. The virus may also be transmitted during pregnancy, delivery of a baby, or via breastfeeding.
Forth, an individual shares a syringe or a needle that has been infected with HIV while injecting drug into the body. Sharing needle or syringe has been regarded as the most effective way to transmit blood-borne viruses (such as Hepatitis C, HIV and etc.). It is also clinically documented that sharing spoons, filters, syringes and needles with blood-contaminated water may expose the individual three times higher risk of getting HIV. Bear in mind that the disinfection of the HIV infected equipments doesn't eliminate the virus thoroughly though it can reduce the chance of transmission.
Fifth, oral sex (licking or sucking the penis) with an infected individual may pose a risk of getting HIV infection. In this case, the infected fluids or infected sexual fluids (For a male, sexual fluids here mean the semen fluids that come out of the penis before and while having sexual intercourse; while for a female, they refer to HIV is in the vaginal fluids which are produced by the vagina to keep it clean besides aiding in the sexual intercourse) will enter into the bloodstream via bleeding gums, ulcers or tiny sores in the mouth of the partner. However, saliva does not pose a similar risk.
Sixth, receptive anal intercourse transmits HIV more effectively via the lining of the anus and thus a male who takes his insertive ("top") position with an infected female while having anal sexual intercourse is more likely to be infected with HIV. Remember, any transmissions that involve blood during sexual intercourse may carry the risk of being infected.
Seventh, a male is at high risk while having vaginal intercourse without wearing condom as the HIV can bridge through the female's body via the lining of the vagina, womb and cervix. The risk is particularly obvious when female has a cut, sore or wound around or inside her vagina as this will become an entry for the virus to get into her bloodstream. Similarly, if a female has a sexual intercourse with a male without a condom putting on, the virus can bridge through a sore, cut, or wound found on his penis or may also get into his urethra (the tube that runs down the penis) or the inside of his foreskin. Sexually transmitted infections like Herps, warts, HPV and gonorrhoea can also give "a free admission" to the virus.
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Christine