1. What is AIDS?
AIDS is a serious infectious disease with a high mortality rate. Its full medical name is "Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome" (AIDS). This name expresses three definitions: First, acquired: it means that the cause is acquired rather than congenital, and it is an infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); second, immunodeficiency: it is mainly caused by the virus that damages the human immune system, resulting in the reduction and loss of the immune system's protective function; third, syndrome: it means that in terms of clinical symptoms, it is a complex syndrome caused by opportunistic infections and tumors of multiple systems caused by immunodeficiency.
2. What is the difference between an infected person and an AIDS patient?
It takes a certain amount of time for the AIDS virus to reproduce after entering the human body. In the initial stage, the immune function of the infected person has not been seriously damaged, so there are no obvious symptoms. We call such people infected with the AIDS virus. When the immune function of the infected person is damaged to a certain extent, other pathogens will take advantage of the opportunity to enter, and at this time, the infected person becomes an AIDS patient. It can take from several months to several years for an HIV-infected person to develop into an AIDS patient, generally 8-10 years, and up to 19 years.(Data source: https://tinyurl.com/2s47h4cm)
3. How do healthy people get infected with HIV?
AIDS is mainly transmitted through sexual contact, blood, and mother-to-child transmission.
4. Can AIDS be treated?
Although AIDS cannot be cured at present, it can still be treated. If you have AIDS, you should treat it promptly and actively according to the symptoms. For example, if you have pneumonia, you should cure it in time; if you have a cold, you should cure it as soon as possible. Moreover, there are antiviral treatments. Although they cannot completely eliminate the HIV in the body, they can effectively inhibit its reproduction, which can greatly prolong the life of HIV-infected people.
5. Will HIV-infected people die immediately?
People infected with HIV will not die immediately. The longer the incubation period, the longer the life of HIV-infected people. Therefore, people infected with HIV should not give up on themselves, but try to delay the onset of the disease. As long as they have not entered the onset period, HIV carriers can live and work like normal people.
6. How to prevent HIV from being transmitted through sexual intercourse?
To prevent HIV from being transmitted through sexual intercourse, safe sex is required. First, have only one sexual partner who is loyal to each other and is not infected with HIV; second, use condoms correctly every time you have sex.
7. Can STDs increase the possibility of HIV infection?
Yes. Because many STDs can cause inflammation or ulcers in the reproductive area, causing damage to the skin or mucous membranes. If you have sex with an HIV-infected person at this time, the HIV in the other person's semen or vaginal secretions will enter the body through the damaged skin or mucous membranes. Therefore, STD patients are more likely to be infected and spread AIDS than ordinary people. If you are worried about being infected with a STD, going to the hospital for a check-up is the most reliable way. After getting a STD, you should go to the hospital for regular treatment as soon as possible. Don't use drugs indiscriminately or go to street quacks for treatment. This may delay the disease and cause endless troubles. Some people do not follow the doctor's instructions for thorough treatment, but stop treatment as soon as the symptoms disappear. This often does not completely cure the disease and may also lead to serious complications.
8. How do drug addicts get infected with HIV?
Drug addicts often share syringes and needles. If one of them is infected with HIV, the syringe will be contaminated, and then HIV will be transmitted to other drug addicts through the needle. In addition, drugs reduce the physical fitness of drug addicts and increase the possibility of HIV infection and disease.
9. Can HIV be transmitted from mother to baby?
Women infected with HIV may transmit HIV to the fetus or baby in the late pregnancy, during delivery and breastfeeding, with a probability of 25-40%, generally around 30%. (Data source: https://tinyurl.com/2s47h4cm)
10. How to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV?
The first thing is to protect women from HIV infection so that the virus will not be transmitted to the child. If a woman infected with HIV still wants to have a child, she should go to the hospital regularly to receive prenatal guidance from a doctor and take antiviral drugs to block mother-to-child transmission. When giving birth, a caesarean section can be used. After the child is born, it must be artificially fed.
11. Can general daily life contact infect HIV?
Daily life contact will not infect HIV. The following behaviors will not spread HIV.
(1) Shake hands, hug, touch, or kiss politely with HIV-infected persons;
(2) Eat, drink, or share dishes and cups with HIV-infected persons;
(3) Use public facilities such as toilets, swimming pools, public baths, telephones, and buses with HIV-infected persons;
(4) Live, work, or share tools with HIV-infected persons;
(5) Go shopping and use banknotes;
(6) Cough, sneeze, cry, sweat, or urinate;
(7) Be bitten by mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, or other insects.
12. If you suspect you have AIDS, where can you go for testing?
▸ Local health department
▸ Community health center
▸ STD clinic
▸ Family planning clinic
▸ Veterans Affairs Medical Centers
▸ Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Programs
▸ Community Organizations
▸ Mobile Testing Vehicles and Community Events
How to Find a Testing Site
You can use the HIV Service Locator provided by HIV.gov to find a testing site near you.
Call 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636) or visit gettested.cdc.gov for testing site information.
You can also contact your local health department or community health center directly.
13: Common Problems of People Living with HIV
(1) Acute Infection: Symptoms of acute infection may occur, which are diverse and often similar to a cold, with fever, headache, body aches, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, joint pain, rash, swollen lymph nodes, and upper respiratory tract infection. Symptoms are mild and recover quickly, so they are often ignored.
(2) Asymptomatic Stage: There are basically no clinical symptoms and signs.
(3) Symptom infection period (related syndrome period): various manifestations, including lymphadenopathy, fever, diarrhea or peripheral neuropathy, weight loss, mild fatigue, night sweats, etc.
14. What should I do if I am infected with HIV?
If you are unfortunately infected with HIV, your life and emotions may be greatly disturbed. However, being infected with HIV does not mean that you are an AIDS patient. HIV has a long incubation period in the body. During the incubation period, the infected person is no different from a healthy person. The key is to delay the onset of the disease. As long as you do the following, you can keep your immunity from declining too quickly and the number of HIV from increasing too quickly:
(1) Accept the facts, do not give up on yourself, maintain psychological balance and optimism;
(2) Go to the hospital for regular check-ups and accept the guidance of medical staff;
(3) Avoid infection and skin damage, and actively carry out targeted treatment;
(4) If you are in good physical condition, you can continue to work. Having a job and being able to work is not only good for your mental health, but also a source of income;
(5) Resolutely change high-risk behaviors;
(6) Ensure adequate nutrition and rest;
(7) Quit smoking and drinking, exercise properly, and live a regular life. This will greatly delay the onset of AIDS and prolong life. Believe that humans will one day defeat the AIDS virus.
15. What should the family of an HIV-infected person do?
If there is an HIV-infected person at home, there is no need to be afraid, because HIV is not spread in daily life. Many successful cases at home and abroad have shown that other family members of HIV-infected people can get along closely with the infected person without being infected. As a family member of the infected person, you need to do the following:
(1) Couples should insist on using condoms correctly during sexual intercourse;
(2) Use toothbrushes, razors, nail clippers and other items that are easy to break the skin or mucous membranes separately;
(3) Spouses and sexual partners should go to regular hospitals for regular testing and receive medical guidance.
The infected person needs different care and support from their family at different stages: During the incubation period, it is mainly spiritual care, which means sincere acceptance rather than abandonment. At the same time, they should be given appropriate care in work and life, and should not be too tired. Nutrition should be guaranteed as much as possible. There should always be some common medicines at home, such as Band-Aids, gauze, anti-inflammatory drugs, etc., and attention should be paid to avoiding opportunistic infections. If there is an infection, go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time. During the onset period, HIV-infected people need care like other patients. AIDS patients have weak immunity, so when caring for them, you must be especially careful not to bring your own germs to them. Keep your home clean and well ventilated, learn some basic nursing knowledge from doctors or nurses, take good care of the patient according to the doctor's instructions, and actively seek targeted treatment.
