HIV and ALCOHOL

opic : HIV/AIDs and Alcohol.

There is extraordinary progress in HIV/AIDs research which has led to development of interventions and medication to reduce transmission and has transformed and almost inevitably disease into preventable and treatable disorder. People with HIV/AIDs can achieve their fully potential amd normal life expectancy if anti retroviral therapy is initiated promptly and continued for life. Nonetheless, alcohol misuse can compromise treatment and prevention of aids which is a serious public health concern worldwide.
It has been discovered that alcohol use contributes to the spread of hiv/aids in many ways like; weakening of the immune system making it harder to fight common infections like cold and hiv related infections, a weaker immune system also increase the chance that you might experience more side effects from hiv medication. Alcohol also increases sexual risk behaviour. It makes it harder for a person living with hiv virus and is drunk to practice safe sex.
 The rate of harzadous alcohol use among people living with aids is approximately twice that of the general population. Alcohol use is primary substance use comorbidities with the greatest healtht impact among those living with aids, it results in liver and cardiac failure, cancer and persistent organ and tissue inflammation, cormobid hepatitis C virus and TB, it further complicates treatment and increase mortality among people living with HIV and continue to drink. The HIV care continoum, including early identification through HIV testing, immediate treatment infection and medication adherence are critical for health of hiv positive people and for preventing new infections. Each of these stages may be adversely affected by alcoho misuse.
Mutsachi Tindi Rose
DPM 01-0122/2018

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