Can HIV or AIDS be treated?

Once you are infected with HIV you are infected for life. Over the first years of infection the virus will reproduce and begin to attack the bodys immune system. But you may not notice this. Eventually the immune system will be so damaged that it is unable to fight off infections, including many that would not normally be a problem. These are called Opportunistic Infections or OIs. Many of these illnesses are very serious, and they need to be treated; some can be prevented. Someone whose immune system has been weakened by HIV and falls ill with an OI is said to have AIDS (if you have one of these infections but you are not HIV+ you do NOT have AIDS). Each new infection will weaken the person living with AIDS (PLHA or PWA) and eventually they will die. Some of the most serious OIs are:
I I I I

and the immune system will be under attack once more. This time the HIV may be immune to the drugs that were used against it. Some people stop taking the drugs because they make them feel sick: they should tell their doctor about any side effects or reactions they have to the drugs as these can usually be controlled or the drug combination might be changed to avoid them. In the long term (after several years) ARVs may cause other health problems, but they remain the only proven way to reduce HIV levels in the body. So it is important to take the combination of drugs that is prescribed regularly, as instructed: taking them just once or for a short time will not work, nor will taking just some of them so dont consider sharing or selling any of your pills. Once you start ARV therapy it must continue and the result should be many extra years free from serious illness. But we still have no cure for HIV: preventing HIV infection is the best way to avoid AIDS For more information: www.aegis.com www.aidsmap.com www.thebody.com Contact Numbers:

Toxoplasmosis which affects the brain Cytomegalovirus affects the eyes and the gut Candidiasis affects mouth, throat and vagina Pneumonia (PCP) and Tuberculosis (TB) affect the lungs

If you know you are HIV+ you can take precautions against some infections, one of several advantages of knowing your HIV status.

Living with HIV

People who are HIV+ can help their immune systems in the same ways that uninfected people can: get plenty of sleep, avoid stress and eat a healthy diet. All of these can be difficult if you have been given an HIV diagnosis, if you suffer discrimination and it becomes a struggle to look after yourself. We should all think about how we can help people living with HIV and AIDS to live longer, better lives.

Treatment for HIV infection ARVs

It is possible to treat HIV infection and bring it under control using triple combinations of drugs called AntiRetrovirals or ARVs (this is sometimes called highly active Anti-Retroviral therapy ART, or HAART). If successful this treatment will reduce the amount of HIV in the body and allow the immune system to recover. This happens within a few months. But if ARV treatment then stops or is interrupted for a period, the levels of HIV will rise again

Published in London, September 2004 National AIDS Trust 196 Old Street London EC1V 9FR United Kingdom

HIV and AIDS: the facts

Positive Action at work is funded by Positive Action, GSKs programme of support for communities affected by AIDS

What are HIV and AIDS?

HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS. HIV stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. A virus is small enough to infect human cells this virus (HIV is a retrovirus) attacks the cells that defend us against diseases.

How do people become infected with HIV?

HIV is only found in certain human body fluids. HIV cannot live for long outside the human body. When someone is living with HIV there is enough virus present in some of their body fluids to infect others, but only if those fluids get into the other persons blood stream. HIV can only be transmitted in the following ways, so there is no reason to ostracise or discriminate against people living with HIV or AIDS or to fear them we can live with together, work together and care for each other in safety.

Infected blood
Blood that contains HIV can only get into your bloodstream in certain ways: an injection with a needle already used on someone else (whether for tattooing, illegal drugs or in a clinic); a blood transfusion with contaminated blood; an accidental injury with a used hypodermic needle. There is a very small risk to you if infected blood splashes in your eyes or onto an open wound. For this reason people caring for someone who is HIV+ are advised to cover any open wounds of their own with waterproof plasters first. Dentists and surgeons who use sharp instruments are advised to sterilise them between patients.

AIDS is short for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is the name for the illnesses people can get once they have been infected with HIV.

How do you know if you are infected with HIV?

It is hard to know, because someone with HIV probably wont feel ill or notice any effects for many years. You cannot tell if someone is infected simply by looking at them. If you want to know if you are infected or not, you need to take an HIV test. This test of your saliva or blood checks for antibodies to HIV. After infection it takes several weeks for the body to produce enough antibodies to show up on the test that is why you need two negative (no HIV antibodies) tests, two or three months apart, to be certain you are not infected with HIV. If antibodies are found the result is said to be positive and the person has become HIV positive or HIV+. HIV tests are available at VCT centres VCT stands for Voluntary Counselling and Testing. You should be counselled before and after an HIV test the result could change your life. If you get a negative result you need to think about how to avoid the risks of becoming infected in the future. If the result is positive you will need to access support and advice so you can stay healthy and access treatment if you get ill.

Sex
There is HIV in semen and in vaginal fluids. So sexual intercourse, where the penis enters the vagina or the anus, carries a high risk if one of the partners is HIV+. This risk can be avoided by: I not having sexual intercourse I only having sexual intercourse in a monogamous and faithful relationship where both partners have had negative HIV tests I always using a condom when you have sexual intercourse If you already have another sexually transmitted infection (STI) the risk of contracting HIV through intercourse or oral sex is much higher. Have a check up and get any STIs treated.

Mother to child
The unborn baby of an expectant HIV + mother has a chance of being born HIV+ themselves. That chance can be reduced by:
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Treating the mother with an antiretroviral drug before and during the birth Limiting the babys exposure to the mothers blood during the birth Bottle-feeding with infant formula as breast milk can contain HIV

HIV is NOT transmitted by any of these:

kisses

first aid working together sharing bathrooms eating together being a friend swimming cuddles sharing a glass insects toilets animals