Understanding HIV/AIDS



Story by ANGELINE MUTHONI
DBMA-01-0708/2017
Aids stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Aids results from a viral infection known as the Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV or AIDS).HIV causes Aids and interferes with the body’s ability to fight infections. Infections are spread by unprotected sex with an infected person, sharing drug needles or through contact with the blood of an infected person. Women can give it to their babies during pregnancy or childbirth.
The first sign of HIV infection may be swollen glands and flu-like symptoms. They may come and go within two to four weeks. Severe symptoms may not appear until months or years later. There is no cure nor there a vaccine to prevent HIV infection, but there are many medicines that fight HIV infection and lower the risk of infecting others.
The symptoms of early HIV infection may include fever, chills, joints pain, muscle aches, sore throat (whitish coating on the tongue, throat or vigina), enlarged glands, a red rash tiredness, weakness etc.
There are many misconceptions about HIV/AIDS. The virus cannot be transmitted from shaking hands, hugging, casual kissing, sneezing, touching unbroken skin, mouth to mouth resuscitation, sharing towels or using same toilets. If one needs to be sure of his or her status, they need to go through a blood test that screens specifically for the virus. If you have HIV then the test results are “positive” and if there are no viruses then the results are “negative”. Earlier HIV treatment is crucial because it improves quality of life, extends life, expectancy and reduces the risk of transmission.  



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