human immunodefiency virus
HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS. Whilst HIV is much less common in the UK than chlamydia, HPV and HSV, it is important to know about it because of its serious effects. Although it's a relatively new virus (the first cases were discovered in 1981), around the world today there are an estimated 33 million people living with HIV infection and more than 25 million people have died of AIDS-related illness. Once somebody is infected with HIV they are infected for life. More than half of new infections are in young people under 25. There is no cure and no vaccine against HIV, but it can be prevented.
This is a magnified picture of the virus
How does HIV work?
The virus invades the body's immune system and attacks the T4 cells, the large white blood cells that help fight off infections and keep the body healthy. HIV needs to take over these cells in order to reproduce itself and each invaded T4 cell becomes a factory to make more HIV. As this process destroys the white cells, eventually the infected person doesn't have enough left and becomes vulnerable to other infections and illnesses.
It's often not possible to tell by looking at a person if they are infected with HIV. It's a slow acting virus and the majority of infected people look healthy and feel well for years after infection. Some don't even know they have the virus. But if a person has HIV, they can spread it whether they know it or not.
Over time, HIV can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immunodefiency Syndrome). As it progresses,people can die from a range of infections caused by their weakened immune system. Medication can slow the process, but these drugs are expensive, not available to most people in developing countries and unfortunately, are not a cure.
How is it passed on?
HIV is passed on in these four body fluids:
How?
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By having penetrative sex, that is vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected person. Women are more susceptible to HIV than men and in 90% of cases, HIV is spread through heterosexual intercourse (sex between a man and a woman)
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Sharing infected needles and syringes is a high risk activity as contaminated blood can get straight into the bloodstream
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From an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding
Although drugs have been developed to slow the progression of HIV to AIDS, there are now some drug-resistant strains of HIV emerging. HIV is the fastest mutating virus on earth and therefore is making the search for a vaccine extremely difficult. Billions of new virus are produced each day in an infected person's body and within 24 hours, HIV can escape a vaccine by evolving. There is no cure for HIV and once someone is infected, they are infected for life.
The most important thing to remember is that HIV is preventable! (See article - It's Our Choice!)
What to do if worried?
If a person is concerned they might have been at risk of contracting HIV, they should immediately speak to their GP (family doctor), school nurse or attend their local sexual health (genitourinary medicine) clinic for advice and testing if necessary.
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