10 days agoAuthor: Gaurav Tiwari
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HIV is spreading rapidly in the North Indian state of Tripura. According to the Tripura State AIDS Control Society (TSACS), so far 828 students have been found HIV positive in the state, while 47 students have died. 572 HIV-infected students are still living with HIV infection and many of them have moved out of Tripura for higher education.
However, the Health Ministry of Tripura has clarified that the figures of 828 cases and 47 deaths being given are from April 2007 to May 2024.
According to the United Nations data released recently, around 40 million people are infected with HIV all over the world. Out of these, more than 90 lakh people are not getting any treatment. The result is that every minute someone is dying due to AIDS.
According to the data of the Indian Government, more than 23 lakh people are HIV infected in the country. Most of these people are from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana.
HIV targets the white blood cells of our body, which weakens the immunity. Due to this, diseases like tuberculosis, severe infection and cancer can easily attack. This virus can spread to another person through the blood, breast milk, sperm and genital fluid of an HIV infected person. In the year 2023, 6 lakh 30 thousand people died due to HIV all over the world.
Today ‘health report‘ We will talk about HIV infection. Along with this, we will know that-
- What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
- What are its symptoms and how does it spread?
- How does HIV harm our body?
- What are the ways to avoid this?
Before moving ahead in the article, let us see what the statistics related to HIV infection and death in the world collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the year 2023 say.
What is HIV
HIV is a virus that weakens our immunity. This can lead to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV destroys our T-cells and weakens the immune system so much that we become unable to fight even minor diseases.
We have often read and heard HIV and AIDS together. So now let us know what is the difference between these two. What is AIDS?
What is the difference between HIV and AIDS
The basic difference between them is that HIV is a virus that weakens our immune system. Whereas AIDS is a medical condition that occurs due to HIV infection. This means that the immune system has become severely weakened.
It can also be understood this way that if a person does not have HIV infection then he cannot get AIDS. If an HIV infected person gets treatment in the initial stage, then he can be prevented from getting AIDS. On the other hand, if treatment is not received, almost all infected people are at risk of getting AIDS.
What are the symptoms of HIV
It is quite possible that a person may not show any symptoms despite having HIV infection. Therefore, even if we are not feeling sick, we should keep getting blood tests done from time to time.
Flu-like symptoms usually appear in the early days of HIV infection.
About 1 month after infection, HIV reaches the clinical latency stage. This is also called the second stage of HIV. This condition can last for a few years or a decade. After this, the third and final stage of HIV, AIDS, begins.
Most infected people do not show any symptoms even during the second stage, while some people start showing clear symptoms.
The worrying thing is that even if an infected person does not show symptoms of HIV, another person can still get infected by him.
How HIV is spread
This virus can infect anyone. It spreads mainly through the following bodily fluids.
- Blood
- Sperm
- Genital and anal fluids
- Breast Milk
HIV usually spreads from one person to another in these ways.
- Through vaginal or anal sex – this is how most infections are spread.
- Sharing needles and syringes for injection or drug treatment.
- Using tattoo equipment without sterilizing it.
- From an HIV-infected mother to her child.
- By breastfeeding.
can hiv be cured
Till now there is no cure or vaccine available for HIV. However, many alternative treatments have been discovered, with the help of which the damage caused to the body by HIV infection can be reduced. Its progress can be reduced.
Understand it this way, if it takes 10 years for HIV infection to progress from the first to the second and then to the third stage, then with the help of alternative treatment this cycle can be extended to 20, 30, 40 years or even more. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is usually given in this.
What is the solution to prevent HIV
The best way to avoid this risk is to first know how HIV spreads and then understand how to protect yourself from it. Having sex without using a condom, having sex with more than one partner, and sharing needles for drug use are some of the most common causes of HIV infection.
The risk of HIV can be reduced by adopting the methods given below.
- Get your HIV test done.
- Use a latex condom before any kind of sex.
- Never share needles to take drugs. It is better to stay away from drugs altogether.
- Get tested and treated for all sexually transmitted diseases.
- Ask the barber shop to use a new blade.
- When getting an injection or giving a sample for a blood test, make sure that a new packet is opened and a brand new syringe is taken out. Refuse to use sterilized syringes.
- While getting a tattoo done, keep in mind that the needle being used should be absolutely brand new.
