CEBU, Philippines - What Is HIV/AIDS?
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is a virus that lives and multiplies primarily in white blood cells (CD4+ lymphocytes), which are part of the immune system. HIV ultimately causes severe depletion of these cells. An HIV-infected person may look and feel fine for many years and may therefore be unaware of the infection. However, as the immune system weakens, the individual becomes more vulnerable to illnesses and common infections. Over time, a person with untreated HIV is likely to develop AIDS and succumb to multiple, concurrent illnesses. Because HIV/AIDS is a condition characterized by a defect in the body’s natural immunity to diseases, infected individuals are at risk for severe illnesses that are not usually a threat to anyone whose immune system is working properly. Behaviors associated with drug abuse, such as sharing drug injection equipment and/or engaging in risky sexual behavior while intoxicated (from drugs or alcohol), have been central to the spread of HIV/AIDS since the pandemic began more than 25 years ago. As yet, there is no cure for AIDS, and there is no vaccine to prevent a person from acquiring HIV, although there are effective medications to treat HIV infection and help prevent the progression to AIDS.
How Is HIV/AIDS Spread?
HIV can be transmitted by contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their infants during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding. Among drug users, HIV transmission can occur through sharing needles and other injection paraphernalia such as cotton swabs, rinse water, and cookers. However, another way people are at risk for HIV is simply by using drugs, regardless of whether a needle and syringe is involved. Drugs and alcohol can interfere with judgment and can lead to risky sexual behaviors that put people in danger of contracting or transmitting HIV.
What is the Extent and Impact of HIV/AIDS?
HIV/AIDS has become one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, killing more than 25 million people around the world, including more than 500,000 Americans. Despite beneficial advances in treating HIV/AIDS, the pandemic is far from over. Also, due to a number of complex and interacting biological, social, and economic factors, there are some populations that are at increased risk for HIV/AIDS. Men having sex with other men remain the largest transmission category. Furthermore, it is estimated that about one-fourth of the HIV-infected persons around the world are unaware of their infection. Not only are these infected individuals at high risk for transmitting HIV to others, but they are also not taking advantage of effective medical treatments for HIV that can reduce AIDS-related illnesses and slow disease progression.
Is HIV/AIDS Preventable?
Early detection can help prevent HIV transmission. Research indicates that routine HIV screening in health care settings among populations with a prevalence rate as low as 1 percent is as cost effective as screening for other conditions such as breast cancer and high blood pressure. These findings suggest that HIV screening can lower health care costs by preventing high-risk practices and decreasing virus transmission.
For drug abusing populations, cumulative research has shown that comprehensive HIV preventiondrug abuse treatment, community-based outreach, testing and counseling for HIV and other infections, and HIV treatmentis the most effective way to reduce the risk of blood-borne infections.
Combined pharmacological and behavioral treatments for drug abuse have a demonstrated impact on HIV risk behaviors and acquisition of HIV infection.
What Other Infectious Diseases are Associated with HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse?
Besides increasing their risk of HIV infection, individuals who take drugs or engage in high-risk behaviors associated with drug use also put themselves and others at risk for contracting or transmitting hepatitis C (HCV), hepatitis B (HBV), tuberculosis (TB), as well as a number of sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, and genital herpes. Injecting drug users (IDUs) are also commonly susceptible to skin infections at the site of injection and to bacterial and viral infections, such as bacterial pneumonia and endocarditis, which, if left untreated, can lead to serious health problems. For more information please feel free to contact us anytime at 032-2389143 or 032-2315229.