 |
Browser Friendly Site |
| Home | Profile | Mission | Photos | Donations | Contact | Feedback |
Current Facts about HIV-AIDS:
2. The new combination drug therapies are effective in many cases. However, they are not a cure. Moreover, a substantial number of individuals with AIDS must stop using the new drugs because of toxic side effects or a developed resistance. AIDS is an acronym for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This virus attacks the immune system, the body's line of defense against disease and infections. When the immune system breaks down, one become susceptible to serious, often deadly infections and cancers called opportunistic infections, so named because they take advantage of the body's weakened defenses.Symptoms Soon after infection, some people develop short-term flu-like symptoms. But infected people usually show no other symptoms until the disease progresses. Patients with advancing disease can develop swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, fatigue, diarrhea, anemia and thrush, as well as various opportunistic infections, such as Pneumocystis pneumonia.Risk Factors HIV is spread by sexual contact with an infected person, by needle-sharing among injection drug users or through transfusions with infected blood. HIV-infected women can transmit the virus to their newborns before or during birth, or through breast-feeding after birth. Health-care workers can become infected with HIV after being stuck with HIV-tainted needles.Prevention People can protect themselves by not engaging in unprotected sex with those who have HIV or whose HIV status is unknown. The gold standard in sexual protection is the male latex condom. When used correctly and consistently, male condoms are 98 to 100 percent effective against infection, studies show. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the female condom also offers some protection against HIV and may be used when a male condom cannot be used appropriately. Protection is also important during oral sex, either with a male condom or dental dam, which covers the vagina. People who use injection drugs should use a clean needle each time they inject drugs. Anti-HIV therapy for pregnant women infected with the virus can reduce the risk of mother-to-infant transmission substantiallyTreatment Thanks in large part to powerful combination therapies that include protease inhibitors, U.S. deaths from the disease have been declining. But the drugs don’t work for everybody and they can have serious side effects. Protease inhibitors, such as indinavir and nelfinavir, block an enzyme called protease, resulting in the production of non-infectious viral particles. Two other classes of anti-HIV drugs are nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, such as AZT and ddC, and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, such as nevirapine and delavirdine. Drugs from different classes are commonly combinedHIV Works Differently in Men and Women HIV affects men and women differently. In the beginning stages, HIV infection in women is less severe then men; however, over time, women's symptoms may be more severe than men's. Women typically have lower initial concentrations of HIV in their blood compared to men yet progress to AIDS at the same rate as men. While women appear to benefit from antiretroviral therapy as much as men, they have more frequent and more significant side effects from the drugs. This may be due to an interaction between antiretroviral therapy and female hormones or it may be the result of women's smaller physical size, which is not taken into account in prescribed antiretroviral drug regimens. Many women are diagnosed with HIV at a later disease stage than men. Twenty-five percent of women postpone medical care due to several barriers, including limited access to health care services due to insurance status, other responsibilities as primary caregivers, and the stigma associated with HIV. Additionally, the health care system does not always provide equitable care and treatment for women as compared to men. A government audit found that women are less likely than men to be given the standard HIV treatment of combination antiretroviral therapy (49 percent of HIV-positive women compared to 61 percent of HIV-positive men were prescribed antiretroviral therapy).LINKS CDC site for overall info http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts.htm/Mothers' Voices is the only national, non-profit, grassroots organization mobilizing parents as educators and advocates for HIV prevention. http://www.mvoices.org/American Social Health Association for overall STD info http://www.ashastd.org/People with AIDS/HIV Action Coalition http://www.beingalivela.org/">A Non-profit community health care clinic located in Southwest Los Angeles http://www.theclinicinc.org/The HIV Search engine with links to everything you need! http://www.hivaidssearch.com/list.htm/Another great site for every tool you will need to be powerful with HIV http://www.hivaidssearch.com/Overall great site for HIV info http://www.thebody.com/index.shtmlA U.S. Department of Health and Human Services project managed by the National Library of Medicine. http://www.hivatis.org/Lots of great info http://www.msnbc.com/news/AIDS_front.asp |
